


The Cop and the Fighter: The Case of the Midnight Ballerina

by wordscavenger



Series: The Cop and the Fighter [1]
Category: Rush Hour (TV 2016)
Genre: Crime Fighting, Eventual Smut, Fighting Fighting, History, Kidnapping, M/M, Murder Mystery, Post-Series, Romance, Slight Paranormal Stuff, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-09-09 17:31:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 67,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8903383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordscavenger/pseuds/wordscavenger
Summary: An unusual incident propels Lee and Carter into a decades old mystery surrounding the disappearance of a ballerina from the 1940’s and her understudy’s recent murder. As the clues come together with the help of loyal old friends and a dangerous new foe, our heroes slowly begin to realize they share an undeniable connection that could change the family they have worked so hard to create and protect. Together, they must decide how to face an uncertain future neither one imagined outside their own fantasies, while also honoring their sworn duty to deliver justice. Or die trying.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Taking a break from my Star Wars series. Inspiration for it has been sporadic but I’m planning on picking it back up again at some point soon. Hopefully after I see Rogue One. Right now I’m having some fun with this smaller fandom that belongs to an unfortunately cancelled show that, I feel, was never really given a fair chance. On the bright side there are already a bunch of wonderful stories written for this fandom and I am excited to tuck my little mystery in there among them. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Though this story is, of course, not entirely cannon, I am attempting to stay as close to the characters and series as I can considering what I can find on the internet. If I make any mistakes, cannon or grammatically, I would happily welcome a polite heads up. But mostly I hope you sit back and enjoy my first attempt at a good old-fashioned mystery featuring the Rush Hour boys! 
> 
> I have most of this story already written and I will attempt to update on a weekly basis. Fingers crossed.

“You have exactly ten seconds to explain why I’m sitting in my car outside Didi’s and you’re not here getting into it.”

Lee squinted at his computer screen before he closed his eyes to give them a quick rub. “What? Why are you at Didi’s?” He paused to try and gather his thoughts as they sluggishly shifted from the forensic report he’d been analyzing to Carter’s unexpected phone call. “What time is it?”

“What time is it?” Carter shouted through the iPhone, causing Lee to squint even more at his partner’s hysteric tone. “What do you mean what time is it? It’s time for you to be at Didi’s so I can pick both of you up and take you to the ceremony. You remember that?”

“Ceremony-oh,” Lee’s eyes flew open and he jumped up from his work desk in the precinct. He spun around once to look for his jacket which had fallen onto the floor. He, Didi and Carter were to receive LAPD’s prestigious Medal of Valor during a ceremony to honor their success in taking down the Quantou. Though Lee wasn’t too keen on receiving the award given his personal involvement tied to the case, Carter was beyond thrilled. There was nothing he loved more than being recognized for his achievements, and he wouldn’t let his friends bow out for the mere sake of modesty.

“Dude, we took down an international crime organization,” Carter had exclaimed the other day when Lee once again attempted to excuse himself from going. “I get you got history with it. I do. But damn man, be proud. We deserve the key to the city, or at the very least another paid vacation. But fine. An award that says we did a damn good job is good enough for me.”

“You’re at work aren’t you?” Carter asked with a groan, interrupting Lee’s thoughts. In the background Lee could hear car doors closing shut and Didi instructing her son to buckle up. 

“Um-no.” Lee grabbed his jacket and slid the iPhone between his shoulder and cheek so his freed hands could turn off the computer and then shove some files into a drawer in his desk.

“See? Why you even trying to lie? I’m about to get an award for being one of the best detectives in the city so there’s no point trying to get that past me. I told you, Lee! I told you if I found out you were doing too much overtime I was going to take you to a workaholics’ anonymous meeting. One that Gerald would be more than happy find for you.” His voice lowered to a threatening tone that Lee knew all too well indicated he meant business.

In response Lee could only shudder as he walked out of the office.

Carter continued, hoping Lee knew his previous words were not empty ones. “Finish your report. I’ll swing by and pick you up.”

“No,” Lee answered as he walked through the empty corridors of the precinct, heading for the back stairwell so he could avoid waiting for the elevators. It was a quiet Sunday evening and most everyone had either gone to follow up on a case or try to enjoy whatever was left of the weekend. “You’ll be late for the ceremony. I’ll take a cab-”

He never saw it coming. Or even heard it. Rarely could a person easily get the jump on him at this time in his life. Constantly being aware of his surroundings was a technique he had spent years training to rely on as second nature. While it wasn’t perfect, this ability had saved his life countless times over the years.

But the blow to the back of his head was fast and efficient. He didn’t even have time to hear Carter cry out his name after moment’s worth of blinding pain surged through his skull to create a heavy curtain of darkness.

Replacing everything.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the white sleeves rolled up to dark elbows that first caught Lee’s eye. He had never seen Carter in a suit before and with a sudden, foggy thought he realized how much he’d been looking forward to seeing him done up that night.

Or was it last night?

He wasn’t sure of the date or time. Soft light that could mean early morning or the oncoming evening streamed in through the slits in the blinds of what he soon recognized was a standard hospital room. He hadn’t been in many medical facilities but whether China or the US, the never ending smell of antiseptic and fear permeated the air like an extra layer of dust on one’s soul.

Sitting in chair beside his bed Carter wasn’t asleep, though from the way he kept rubbing his half lidded eyes with a tired hand told Lee he needed it, bad. He was instead focused on an array of documents laid out on the bed like a thin blanket. Though the heavy painkillers leaking steadily into his bloodstream through an IV kept his eyes from becoming perfectly focused, he’d deposited enough hours of his life pouring over numerous case documents to spot a police report a mile away.

Whatever content that file held, it had Carter’s complete attention. He hadn’t yet noticed that Lee had awoken and was watching him; studying his profile like he was etching it into a safe space in his memory. Rarely did he ever catch Carter in a moment where he thought he was alone, and the vulnerability he saw in his partner’s assumed isolation tapped at his walls. Lee pushed that thought away. For now.

“Carter?” Lee finally said, though it came out more like a strangled cough. His friend looked beyond despondent and Lee couldn’t help wondering if his own condition, however bad it was, was part of why he was upset.

He guessed correctly. When Carter’s eyes locked onto his, relief flooded through them like a tsunami in a storm.

“Brother,” Carter sighed as his head fell back a bit. He brought up a hand to run it nervously over his own mouth before he sat up straight and eagerly grabbed Lee’s limp hand, almost as if were he not able to get to him in time, Lee would fall back into the darkness. “Dude, you cannot do this to me. I’ve probably aged ten years since I’ve got here.”

Despite the reprimand, the fondness in Carter’s words warmed up Lee’s chest like the heat coming from their embracing hands.

“I did not mean to worry you,” Lee said with some difficulty. His mind kept automatically forming his responses in Mandarin and it took him a moment to mentally translate before speaking. “Though, I do not really know if that is true. I cannot exactly remember how I got here.”

“You don’t?” Carter asked.

Lee shook his head. Or tried to. He made a slight tilting motion with his head but then realized what a horrible and painful idea that was. Instead he answered, “No.”

“What’s the last thing you do remember?” Carter let go of Lee’s hand, using it to reach over to the papers around the bed and gather them together.

Lee’s eyes fell onto Carter’s hands. Logically, he knew he should call for a nurse to have her check him over; maybe even a doctor to make sure everything was alright. He still wasn’t sure about his condition, and despite Carter’s lack of effort to get a medical professional there, Lee wasn’t sure if it was because he was eager to know more about his attack or because Lee’s injuries just weren’t that bad.

Despite that trail of thought, Lee could only focus on Carter’s dark hands moving slowly. His eyes roamed over to his friend’s muscled arms; tendons and veins strained as his hands finished with the papers to then suddenly run a comforting line across Lee’s arm, possibly trying to get his attention back. Lee took in the solid white fabric covering the top of Carter’s body. The shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing more perfect and smooth skin that slid up to Carter’s neck. He realized Carter’s Adam’s apple was bobbing, which told him the man was speaking.

“Lee!” Carter exclaimed, probably not for the first time. Lee brought his eyes up to meet his partners’. They were clouded with worry, but his lips were set in a determined line that told Lee Carter had his mind made up about something. That, he assumed, could only lead to its natural conclusion-trouble

“Sorry,” Lee said and had to blink a couple of times to focus. He had no clue what got into him. “What did you ask me?”

“Never mind,” Carter answered. “Just sit tight. I’m calling the nurse.”

Suddenly Lee began to feel pings of panic shooting around his chest when Carter made a move to stand. Without realizing what he was doing, small noises of protests began to fumble out of his mouth, none of them making any sense. He hadn’t been entirely lying to Carter when he once told him he hadn’t experienced much fear since he was a child. Any hint of that emotion had been reserved for his sister and her well-being. Unexpectedly feeling it now when he thought Carter was about to leave his side left him shaken and more vulnerable than he could remember being in a long time.

Carter shot him another worried look that morphed into slight amusement as he sat up and grasped the call box laying on the other side of the bed. He pressed the button and gently teased, “Easy there superman. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I did not think you were,” Lee said, trying to save face though he knew he was way past that point. “But if you do need to be somewhere else-” his eyes strayed over to the case files tucked neatly back into its folder at the corner of his bed.

“I don’t.” Carter’s voice held no room for argument and Lee felt his body betray him as it relaxed along with Carter casually settling back into his chair, as if the detective had nowhere else in the world he needed be rather than beside his partner.  

Lee wanted to ask Carter what the case file was, but the nurse walked in moments later. Lee wasn’t sure what Carter had told her of their relationship, as some hospitals he’d been in strictly adhered to family only visitors, but she didn’t ask as she slowly began working through the motions of assessing Lee’s current condition.

“What exactly is wrong with me?” Lee asked after Carter had stood and stepped aside to let the woman get by without him in the way.

“You got jumped,” Carter said from his post beside the bed. “Nothing life threating but you got banged up a bit. Seems like you got hit from behind then fell down the stairway. Got a bunch of bruises from your fall and you’re gonna feel that lump on your head once these meds wear off. They did some scans and stuff when you were out and ruled out a concussion. Not surprised though since your head’s been knocked around so much I bet it’s immune to them now.” He gave Lee a comforting smile that his partner just rolled his eyes at.

“How did I get here?” Lee asked.

“I heard you get attacked when we were on the phone,” Carter said, his voice attempting an even calm. But Lee didn’t miss the way his fists clenched and his eyes blazed with anger. “Didi called the prescient to have someone come out and help you but the perp was long gone when they got to you. I tried to get there as fast as I could but by the time I did you were already on your way here.” He let out a frustrated sigh when he finished.

“We’re just not sure why you got jumped though. Nothing of yours was stolen and no one tried to get into your work computer. But, something was left behind.” Carter gestured his head towards the case file.

“Someone attacked me and then left behind that?” Lee asked as the nurse took his pulse. The file looked old, decades of tears and stains decorated the folder. The papers inside had a yellow tinge that marked its time as well.

“Yeah. Kind of a weird delivery method since stamps are only thirty-five cents a pop.” Carter made a grimace like he was trying to smile at his own joke but it wasn’t worth it. “Would have been a lot easier.”

“But it would not have gotten our attention the same way,” Lee said with sluggish words. The nurse had replaced his IV and the drugs were quick to work their magic.

He was about to ask what was in the file but the nurse cut him off before he could continue.

“Don’t go falling asleep on me now,” she said. “Can you stay awake a bit longer for the doctor to get here? He wanted to look you over when you woke up.”

Lee struggled to rally himself awake and gave a slow, painful nod, “Yes I-”

“Is it really necessary to make him stay awake?” Carter stepped up closer to Lee’s head and glared at the nurse from across the bed. “If he wants to sleep why can’t you let him?” He looked down at his partner for a moment before turning back with a huff. “He aint going anywhere on my watch and this hospital aint gonna run out of doctors anytime soon. Am I right?”

Carter’s sudden protective side threw Lee for a moment but he quickly composed himself. He wanted the doctor to look him over so hopefully he would get cleared and could get discharged. “Carter, it is fine-”

“The doctor will be here soon-”

“And I’ll wake his ass up,” Carter gestured towards Lee, “when the doc finally decides to show up. I know it’s only been like three hours since he’s decided to grace us with his presence so what’s three hours more, right?” His voice took on a sarcastic, frustrated tone that hinted to Lee this had been a continuous argument between Carter and the nurse. “So until then my partner’s getting his recently whooped self some sleep because he kind of needs it. If you couldn’t tell.”

When the nurse tried to protest again Carter held up a hand. “You all done here?”

“Yes, but-”

Carter wouldn’t hear it. He grabbed the file and sat back in his chair beside Lee’s bed. “Then go have a break or something. Get some coffee. Take a nap. You look like you need it.”

Lee turned to the nurse, now silently fuming, and gave her a long suffering look of empathy. “Thank you for your service.” He tried, but she just shook her head and walked away.

When the door closed behind her Lee turned back to Carter who was opening the file. “That was very rude.”

“She’s the rude one,” Carter didn’t look up at Lee as he spoke, paging through the papers in his hands. “Wouldn’t even let me know what room you were in until I showed her my badge. And even then she called the precinct to talk to Cole to make sure I was actually a cop.”

“She spoke with Captain Cole? I thought she was at the ceremony.”

“She was.” Carter shifted in his seat. “I had Didi pretend to be her.”

Lee couldn’t stop the small smile creeping up the side of his face. “You and Didi make a truly devious team.” He continued in a somber voice. “I am sorry you had to go through all that.”

Carter casually shrugged and frowned at something on the page he was scanning. “I’m used to it.” His words were mumbled until he looked back up at Lee. “And I wasn’t kidding. Get some rest.”

“Tell me what is in the file.” As tempting as sleep was, the detective in Lee was eager to find out what was so important that someone risked attacking him to get his attention.

“Not until after the doctor sees you and gives you the all clear. Then I promise we’ll go into crime busting mode and figure this out.” When Lee tried to protest Carter held up a hand like he did with the nurse. “Hey, don’t make me go all Nurse Ratchet on you bro.”

“Nurse-what?” Lee struggled to place the reference.

“Never mind. We’ll save that for the next scary movie night at Didi’s.” Carter reached out and grasped Lee’s arm. Lee felt his heart speed up a bit but didn’t want to betray his thoughts. Instead he kept his eyes locked on Carter’s. “Check out for a bit okay? I’ll let you know when the doc shows up.” He held up the file. “And I promise I won’t follow up on this until you’re ready.”     

Lee regarded Carter for a moment. “You promise?”

“Of course I promise!” Carter exclaimed. “When have I ever broken a promise to you, huh?”

“I would recite my list but by the time I finish I will most likely be discharged,” Lee answered, deadpanned.

Carter gently whacked Lee with the file. “Boy, you better get to sleep before I make you the way my grandma did.”

Lee gave his partner a small smile before he closed his eyes. “I am willing to bet she was as gentle as a _hudie_.”

The sound of Carter’s annoyed grumbling in reply lulled him back to sleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late! Hope you enjoy!

“Carter-”

“No-”

“Carter this is completely unnecessary-”

“I second that.”

“Shut up, Gerald!” Carter exclaimed with annoyance as he turned to his cousin. Gerald tilted his head to look to Lee who was also looking at him and they exchanged a silent and mutual frustrating agreement over Carter’s current actions.

Lee was laying on the couch in Didi’s living room. A soft white blanket covered half his body propped up by a couple extra pillows courtesy of Didi’s mothering before she left for work. Most of the bruises around his face and arms were fading to a dull yellow, but a few darker ones became more prominent when the L.A sun shined directly on them.

“Carter,” Lee tried again. “I have been out of the hospital for two days. I do not need Gerald to stay here and watch me like a helpless child. I have been completely cleared by the doctor-”

“To leave,” Carter said, holding up a finger. “For bed rest. Not to actively go around kicking ass like you do. Like you always do whenever we have a case.”

“And we have a case,” Lee fought back as he held up the tattered old case file from the coffee table beside him. “One that we need to address immediately.”

“Uh-” Gerald interjected with a hand he slowly rose. “Just for clarification-why exactly does this case need to be taken care of right away?” He nodded towards the file in Lee’s hands. “That thing looks like it’s been kicking around for a couple a years. What’s a couple more weeks?”

Lee turned to Carter and remained silent. If Lee had his way, Gerald would never even hear about any of their cases. It was against regulations to involve a citizen, especially a criminally active one, in ongoing investigations. But, as he had learnt over the long months working with Carter, Gerald was one of the very few people his partner wholeheartedly trusted. And while Gerald had come through for them many times before, Lee would often leave it in Carter’s hands to decide how much case information they should impart onto the con-man.

However, this time Carter sighed and plopped down on the couch beside Lee’s feet and turned to his friend. “That’s on you partner.”

Lee frowned and looked at the file. True to Carter’s promise, once he’d been cleared by the doctor the case ended up in his hands. What was inside explained Carter’s reluctance to delve in with the same enthusiasm and immediacy he exhibited with all their previous investigations.

Lee sighed as he opened up the file. Carter had been right to trust Gerald before, and chances were they would need his help again. “You were correct when you said that the case is old. It’s dated back to 1946.” He didn’t show Gerald the case information, he would only bend the rules so far, but summarized what it described. “Apparently a subgroup associated with a ballet troupe from Russia came to UCLA as part of a good will campaign after the war to encourage student exchange between the university and the rising stars in their ballet academy. They wanted to bring promising dancers to UCLA and get them to stay on for performances and educational purposes, then bring them back home to utilize what they had learned at the famous Bolshoi Ballet theater.”

“Yeah, but that good will stuff didn’t last long,” Carter explained to Gerald as his cousin sat back on the recliner across from them.

“Oh this sounds like some shady stuff went down. Is it going to end up being a ghost story?” Gerald asked as he got comfy. “I just know it is. I’m feeling it boys. Need me some hot chocolate and a flashlight.”

Carter was already shaking his head and waving at a confused Lee to continue. “Context. I’ll explain later.”

Lee nodded. “Apparently the night before the performance the star ballerina disappeared.” He regarded the file. “Galina Ma-ma-” He tried to pronounce the Russian name but struggled with the pronunciation as it clashed with his Chinese and English accent.

“Galina Makarova?” Gerald exclaimed and stood with an excited hooting shout. “Knew it! I knew we were dealing with a ghost story!” He clapped his hands and then did a small dance move to celebrate.

“Wait,” Carter said as he stood. “You’ve heard of her?”

“Course I have,” Gerald scoffed. “The ghost of Royce Hall at UCLA? Bro-” his tone changed to almost sounding offended. “I have told you a million times I am the history king of L.A alright? You got to trust my skills here. I know all there is to know ‘bout this town. Names, dates, notorious scandals of the ex-tra-remely salacious kind. I can totally help you guys!”

“You don’t even know the whole story!” Carter fought back.

“Course I do!” Gerald answered back. “Hold up. See if this matches your CSI notes there, Lee.” He cleared his throat before he began. “Set the scene.”

“Oh God,” Carter moaned with an exaggerated sigh as he flopped back onto the couch and ran a hand down his face. Lee shot him an apologetic look at his cousins’ enthusiastic actions but they both knew they had to wait out the dramatics.

“It was a cold, dark night-”

“It was June,” Lee interjected.

Gerald didn’t miss a beat. “It was a hot, humid night in June. People were gathering towards the illustrious Royce Hall Theater within the epicenter of education on the west coast-the great UCLA. Fun fact, boys. Royce Hall was named after Josiah Royce, the American idealist philosopher who-”

“Continuing on.” Carter waved a hand indicating his cousin needed to speed up.

“Right. Hot, humid night. June. Royce Hall. Ah, ballet. Yes. Everyone was gathering at the hall to see a once in a lifetime performance of some of the most talented ballet dancers in a cutthroat battle to join the famous Bolshoi Classical Ballet company out of Russia.”

“The days before Netflix. Am I right?” Carter said with a small tap on Lee’s foot beside him. His partner rolled his eyes in response.

“So everyone got their seats,” Gerald continued. “Got their programs in hand. Got their-um-whatever people used to snack on when they saw ballets back then. When suddenly,” he paused for dramatic effect, then gasped. “Boom. The star ballerina is missing! Galina Makarova is gone folks and aint no one knows where she went off to.”

“That’s pretty much the gist of the case,” Carter said as he turned to Lee and pointed to the file. “She was never found. Everyone thought she defected and took off into the states for asylum.”

“But what is troubling is that it does not make any sense.” Lee pulled out a form from the file. “According to this her profession was leading her to become extremely wealthy and famous. Her country was definitely going through problems, but they did not seem to be affecting her at that time.” He scanned the form. “Also it seems like she was heading for a very prominent engagement to the director of the company. Dimitri Plise-t-um.”

“Plisetskaya,” Gerald offered helpfully though Lee gave him another annoyed glare that he could not only pronounce the words effortlessly but that he also knew so much about the case before they did. “And all that stuff don’t mean a damn thing. That theater, Bolshoi, and let’s face it most if not all of them back then were notoriously known for making their star dancers spend,” he held up his hands to do air quotes, “’quality time’ with sponsors to get more dough for their company. It wouldn’t surprise anyone that Galina was probably either already doing the same or was on her way. Her life probably weren’t all roses and fancy vodka.”

Carter glanced over at Lee and they both shared a silent, understanding look.

“She had an understudy. Right?” Gerald said and plopped back down onto his chair.

Lee didn’t even bother to try and pronounce her last name. “Nadia. It says that she was checked out during the investigation. Nothing to tie her to the disappearance.”

“Ah but jealousy runs deep within the arts,” Gerald said and rocked back and forth in the recliner. “With Galina gone, Nina could finally take the stage. At least that’s how the legend goes. Understudy kills the star ballerina, understudy takes her fame, and understudy goes back to Russia to live the life she felt she always deserved.” Gerald paused and sighed wistfully. “Meanwhile the poor dead ballerina is forced to haunt the lonely halls of Royce Hall, waiting for the day her murder will be solved and her tortured soul laid to rest.”

“I do not know much about your ghost stories Gerald, but a missing persons cold case ending up in our hands like this is something we definitely need to look into,” Lee said.

“Which we will,” Carter said as he stood. “When you’re feeling better.”

“Carter-” Lee began but Gerald interjected.

“Hold up guys. You guys never answered my question. Why is Lee so gung-ho about getting this done now?” He looked over the injured man. “I agree you don’t need no babysitter but you do look like you’ve gone a few rounds with Ali and came out for the worse.”

Again Carter differed to Lee who just sighed and answered, “That understudy to Galina?”

“Nadia?”

Lee nodded. “Well she was found murdered three months ago. At Royce Hall.”

Gerald sat still for a moment before his mouth opened and after a moments pause he yelled, “Shut up!”

“After Galina’s disappearance she did very well for herself, as you said. Went back to Russia, married the Ballet Master where they continued working for the company until moving back to California about twenty years ago where they then started their own performance arts studio that produced many talented dancers.” Lee looked down at the two Xeroxed copies of forms from Nina’s murder report. It was not part of Galina’s case file, someone had put it there.

“Until she was found dead on the stage at Royce. Even stranger is the COD is suffocation. But she wasn’t in anything. Her body was just left there out in the open.” Carter frowned. “The case is still unsolved.”

“How did I not know about this?” Gerald said, aghast.

“Schools with money to burn can be pretty good at keeping their secrets just that. Secret,” Carter explained.

“Okay. But again, what does this have to do with you guys?”

Lee hesitated before he took out one of the copies. “A witness stated that they saw Nadia a half hour before her death walking into Royce Hall with a tall Asian woman with long dark hair and black leather clothing.”

“Uh-oh,” Gerald said, starting to catch on.

“The witness who had passed by the Asian woman noticed a tattoo on her neck,” Lee continued painfully. “A tattoo that matches the Quantou.” 

* * *

 

The side streets and buildings passing by Carter went unnoticed as he drove. His mind was miles away, slowly inching itself further down into the space that occupied every detail and aspect of whatever case he was working on. He didn’t mind spending time there, as he often did, when he should have been taking time away from work. Sleeping, eating, visiting old friends or meeting new hook-ups. He could put up a good enough front when he had to; pretend to be interested in a story or care about what was on television. Yet, he could never truly separate himself from the chase, even when it wasn’t personal.

But damn, was this one personal.

Now, attached to the possibly tragic story of a missing Russian ballerina and her understudy’s suspicious death was an image of Lee lying in the hospital bed. Bruised, hurt and alone. He couldn’t stop himself from remembering how confused Lee was when he finally woke, and how nervous he suddenly became when he thought Carter was going to leave him.

When he first met the Chinese detective, he thought he had the man figured out within the first sixty seconds. All work and not a damn thing else mattered. Then he learned about his sister, and then his parents, and before he knew it he realized the man had become his friend. And though Lee still kept himself at a small arms distance, Carter was slowly crossing that chasm every time Lee let his defenses slip an inch.

Until they saved his sister. Carter always thought that bringing Kim back from the Quantou would drop that heavy weight of brotherly guilt and responsibility Lee carried like a cross upon his back. When Lee decided to stay in L.A and continue working with him, he thought the walls had finally cracked enough where he could worm his way inside and prove to his partner that he didn’t need to be alone. That he didn’t need to suffer in isolation quite as much anymore. He’d be happy to share that cross, share anything with him, if he’d only let him.

Continuously over the months Carter saw bits and pieces of Lee’s personality peek through the veneer of a closed off professional, and it was enough to allow Carter to share parts of himself he’d prefer to keep hidden away as well. They were a damn good team and he knew once they could fully trust each other, they’d be an unstoppable one.

But after Kim’s exoneration, instead of opening up, that small arm suddenly grew much longer. Lee spent more time at work, became more obsessed with the cases. Carter always knew Lee could be stubborn, but something had changed between them and he couldn’t place a finger on it.

“Oh my God, Gerald! What?”

Carter turned to Gerald sitting in the passenger seat beside him. He had felt his cousin’s eyes on him for most of the drive and it was unnerving. He hadn’t been as talkative as usual, but his cousin was aware of his mind’s focused trajectory when he was involved in an intense case.

Gerald remained silent for a moment before he spoke and that made Carter even more nervous. Gerald was by no means the befuddled small time crook he normally portrayed himself solely as. It was a useful strategy that worked for him in business and in life, but Carter knew the line between the façade and the real Gerald. If Carter had to simplify his cousin, he was a happy go lucky man who had no illusions about how hard life could be. He only wanted to live his life on his own terms. The straight and narrow had never been a clear option for them growing up, and though Carter fought and strove to follow it, Gerald tip toed along the edges doing his own thing. It made him happy and as long as he didn’t stray too far off the path that he couldn’t come back, Carter wouldn’t worry.

But his hesitation meant Gerald was considering his words before he spoke, and that made Carter wish he had just kept his mouth shut. A rambling Gerald could produce hidden nuggets of gold but a contemplative Gerald who knew him better than anyone? He could dig out loads more than Carter was willing to share.

“You know I’ve never told anyone about that thing you don’t want me to talk about right?” Gerald began, still watching his cousin.

“Knew I should have left you on babysitting duty,” Carter muttered. He had intended to do so, but Gerald swore up and down he had a friend who worked at UCLA they could talk to about the case. Lee was reluctant for the two to go without him, but Carter promised after they returned he could join him in speaking with the detective who initially handled Nadia’s murder which had been pushed into becoming a cold case. Carter could tell Lee hadn’t been sleeping well, he’d been sparse on the pain meds, and the extra bit of rest would help him remain alert in case the detective wasn’t too keen on his case being reopened by someone other than him.   

“I mean, I’m fine not talking about it until you want to talk about it. And I know if you wanted to talk about it, you’d talk about it with me, cause I’m family and that’s what we do. And since you haven’t brought it up then I just figured you didn’t need to talk about it cause there weren’t anything worth talking about.”

Carter could see his knuckles turning pink from grabbing the steering wheel so hard. “Dude. I have no idea what you are talking about. There’s probably a million things I’ve told you to keep your mouth shut about over the years and God only knows which few you actually chose to listen to.”

Gerald regarded Carter for a moment before he quickly opened up the glove compartment and pulled out an audiobook.

“Damnit, Gerald!” Carter went to go grab the item out of Gerald’s hand but his cousin raised his arm up high, forcing Carter to give up his attempts or else risk crashing his beloved Chenille.

“Who said you could go messing around with my things?” Carter yelled at him. “Nosey brat.”

“ _Basic Learners Guide to Mandarin_ ,” Gerald read the title off the plastic box. “Master the language skills of the east in one hundred and seventy hours or less.” He grimaced in disgust at the time frame.

“I thought it would be helpful okay? I know Lee gets homesick sometimes-,” he sighed before quickly continuing on. “And you know, might be kind of badass to communicate in Mandarin in front of the criminals so they have no idea what we’re talking about.” When Gerald shot him a disbelieving look he pushed on. “It’s for work purposes only, okay?”

Gerald licked his lips and calmly said, “You know I don’t judge. It’s not in my nature.”

“It’s in your nature to drive me nuts,” Carter shot back. This time when he reached for the language learning case he successfully grabbed it, then threw it into the back seat.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Carter finally said after a few moments of silence. He looked over at his phone to see the GPS telling him they still had about ten more minutes until they reached UCLA. He wondered if it would be pushing protocol to just flip on his police lights to quickly end this miserable drive.

“Fine,” Gerald said as he watched Carter’s movements. “I’ll talk then.” He ignored Carter’s annoyed groan to clear his throat and rub his hands as if he were gearing up for something big. “Okay. I’m thinking…cobalt blue.”

Carter blinked at turned to his cousin, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“For you guys wedding color,” Gerald explained in a huff like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I hope you weren’t planning on dropping a bucket load of dollars to waste on some over-priced monstrosity because bro, I’ve got the whole thing planned out already. I’m your best man and wedding planner combined. Like a wedding boss.” He held up a hand to tick off each finger. “Venue, food, epic duel bachelor party. Keep in mind Hong Kong has a pretty awesome party rep. And no, Didi is not allowed to help. She has no taste whatsoever. Remember when she threw your twenty-fifth birthday party? Purple and red? Uh-uh. Not on my watch.”

A tightly coiled knot settled deep in Carter’s chest loosened just a smidge when Gerald spoke. Carter couldn’t suppress a small grin from edging up the side of his mouth. He turned to Gerald, who saw his face, and in return blasted him with his biggest, warmest and most affectionate smile.

“We’re not-,” Carter tried before he paused. “I’m still not sure if he even likes-” again he faltered.

Gerald reached out and grasped his cousin’s shoulder. “Brother. No matter what, I’ve got your back okay?”

The knot loosened an inch more and Carter swallowed a small lump that had somehow grown in the back of his throat. “Same bro. Same.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The goodwill event portrayed here is made up by me along with the ballerinas and their counterparts. The Bolshoi theater actually has a very fascinating history. If you'd like to learn more a book just came out called "Bolshoi Confidential: Secrets of the Russian Ballet from the Rule of the Tsars to Today" by Simon Morrison.


	4. Chapter 4

“So, how did you even know all that stuff about the ballerina’s disappearance, Gerald?” Carter asked as they walked down the halls of the famous university. Students barely noticed them as they rushed passed in a slew of different directions. The busyness almost made Carter’s head spin. He’d gone into the police academy as soon as he could when he was done with high school so he had never experienced much of the typical college experience. For a while he wondered if he missed out on anything important, but after busting the fifth drunk college kid for public disorderly behavior he got over it.

Gerald, however, strutted down the hallway like he knew the place by heart. It was almost hard to imagine his cousin choosing to spend so much time in an academic setting after watching him attempt to get out of school when they were growing up. Faking an epidemic of the week was a constant battle between Gerald and their grandma.

“Cause of my source, who is absolutely fool proof man. Remember those Hollywood bus tours I’m a straight up expert on? Well, for a while there was some hold ups going on. Bad dudes just hopping on the bus during the late tours and stealing from the tourists right in the middle of the tours!

“I remember,” Carter said. “And I remember because when it was happening I told you to stay away from those tours until those guys were caught.”

Gerald stopped walking and shot his cousin a nervous look. “I know you told me that-”

“But you did the exact opposite,” Carter finished for his cousin as he replied, “But I did the exact opposite.”

“Gerald!” Carter moaned in annoyance and walked away, shaking his head angrily.

“Well I was going to!” Gerald exclaimed as he jogged to catch up. “But since I was kind of a regular there I got offered a job riding the night shift as a bit of muscle on board for a while. Give those bad dudes a second thought you know?”

Carter raised his eyebrows, not sure whether to be impressed or still pissed off. “You shouldn’t have taken the job. You have no background in that sort of thing.” As he walked by a locker he reached out and banged it, choosing pissed off. “Grandma’d have my ass if you got hurt.”

Gerald rolled his eyes but smiled at Carter, knowing he’d be upset as well. “Naw it’s all good. You cops caught the bad guys and I got to know a lot of the other tour guides.”

Sighing Carter crossed his arms. “Only you would think getting a job as a bodyguard on a Hollywood tour bus would be a fun way to make new friends.”

Shrugging, Gerald led Carter down another hallway heading further into the building. “Ah, it’s all good. And yeah, well, learning more about the history was definitely a perk. You know I love that stuff. Anyway, one of the guides got a sweet gig working in the history department here at the school. Got put in charge of digitizing all the books and papers of the school and stuff. I once kept a couple guys from giving her a hard time and she always says she owes me one for it. Wasn’t ever going to take her up on it though, was a paid job and I’m a gentlemen and all so I woulda done it no matter what. But this I don’t think she’d mind us dropping in on. It being a good cause and all.”

“Her?” Carter asked as Gerald opened a door marked employees only. They took the stairs to a basement level and headed down the dimly lit walkway until they reached a door marked _Academic History Department_.

“Yeah. Cute little thing too. If I got business nearby I’ll give her a ring to see if I can slide over and we can talk shop. She knows everything about this place. At least its past. Not so sure about its present though, but I guess we’ll find out.”

Gerald tapped on the window below the word _History_ and waited a beat before turning the doorknob and then giving the wooden door a good shove to get it open. Carter followed his cousin inside and blinked at what he saw. Stacks upon stacks of books, files and newspapers lined the floors and walls; a fireman’s nightmare. Some chairs, a settee and couple tables were scattered in between an assortment of bookcases and one lone desk at the other end of the room. Carter watched as a cat’s tale poked out from an upturned box before it darted back inside.

“Yo, Gilly?” Gerald called out to the seemingly empty room. Some shuffling was Gerald’s answer until a head popped up from behind the desk, a small plume of dust puffing up behind it like a cloud.

“Gerald?” The slender girl was in her mid-twenties and had that soft glow of youth in her pale skin and long, strawberry blond hair brushed against her chest like feathers. Her eyes, flashing in excitement at her visitor, were green as fresh spring leaves.

“Sup Gilly?” Gerald asked as he walked towards the girl. Behind him Carter coughed and waved away dust that swirled around him from the opened door before he sneezed loudly.

“There you are!” She exclaimed in a high Irish accent as she stood and rushed over to throw her arms around the large man in a tight embrace. He gave her an ‘aw shucks’ groan and patted her back affectionately.

“No offence, I’m glad to see you and all. But what are you doing here again so soon? You alright?” She asked as she let go and stepped over to hold out her hand to Carter who sneezed again into his jacket. “You finally going to take me up on that offer for a bevvie then?” Her question came out in a teasing tone, but her eyes held Gerald’s to let him know it was an invitation open to take seriously if he chose. “If I remember correctly there was a little pub that reminded me of home on our tour route you always said you wanted to check out.”

“Detective Carter, L.A.P.D,” Carter coughed out at the girl as he shook her hand and pulled out his badge. He had no intention of standing around watching his cousin get hit on. It was too awkward for him to handle. “If you have a few minutes, Gerald said you might be able to help me with a case?”

Her green eyes widened in surprise. “Wot? A case? Like with you?” She raised a hand then folded her long, slender fingers into a snap. “Carter. Wait. You’re Gerald’s cousin, right?”

“Yes ma’am,” Carter nodded and ignored her grimace at the address.

“Ma’am,” Gilly scoffed as she waved the two men over to have a seat in an old and overstuffed red leather settee. She threw a pile of newspapers off an office chair onto the floor before pulling it over to sit with the men. “Ma’am is what you’d call my mother.” She pronounced it meh-ter but the two men understood what she meant. “And she’d deck you just as well for it. Please call me Gilly. I’d offer you two a drink but there’s no available working outlets for a coffee maker at the moment and the canteen is a bit of a walk.” She gestured to her basement office and the men gave her a nod of sympathy for her situation. “I could get an office if I wanted, but this is the only place I’m allowed to bring Wilde and Joyce.” She looked around for the cats, but didn’t see their hiding place.

“Don’t worry about it,” Carter said as he shifted slightly in the chair, hoping he wouldn’t agitate anymore dust mounds. “I wanted to ask you about a murder that occurred here a few months ago. At Royce Hall?” He pulled out a picture of the victim, Nadia Lepedia, DMV photo and handed it to the woman. “You recognize her?”

“Not exactly,” Gilly said as she regarded the woman’s face; a lovely oval that held sad dark eyes and, even when tied up in a ballerina’s bun, noticeably thick raven locks. “She was some kind of performer I think? I remember hearing about it, as some of my mates here were interviewed by the police. Not me though. I was overseas visiting family at the time and even if I were on campus I’m pretty much confined to this room, the library and the canteen.” She handed the photo back to Carter. “Also the university released a statement talking about the incident. Kept it concise mind you, not too many details. Just that something happened, the school were taking care of it, and we were just to mind our own business with it all.”

Carter folded the photo and placed it back into his jacket pocket before he asked, “Would you mind telling me what you do here?”

“Not at all, though you might regret that question as it’s not the most exciting profession on campus.” She waved her hand around the room. “I’m in charge of organizing the information that will be sent to the library to be digitized for a new database we’re pulling together. The school’s been around for ages and has loads of history that goes with it.”

“How much left do you have to do?” Gerald asked. “I mean you’ve been at this job for almost a year.”

She laughed. “All of it.” At their surprised faces she laughed again and slapped Gerald’s knee playfully. “And there’s more to come. It’s a university boys. And it was doing its job long before computers showed up. Stuffy academics who worked or studied here spent all their free time trying to pen the next great discovery in their field since this place laid its first brick. And whether it’s an essay on Macbeth from 1892 or some long forgotten transcript by Royce, it’s my job to make sure it doesn’t get lost in this mess. Because at some point, I guarantee you, someone’s going to come looking for it.”

Carter shook his head. This job sounded like something he wouldn’t even choose over working the night shift in Hollywood. “Okay, so, speaking of keeping track of the school’s history, have you come across an incident that occurred back in 1946? An international good will attempt with the school that ended up with a missing Russian ballerina who was thought to have defected?”

Gilly gasped as she turned to Gerald. “The ghost of Royce Hall!”

He nodded and turned to Carter to give his cousin a little shove. “Told you. Gilly and I have a ton of theories about what happened and if her ghost is still haunting around here.”

“I’m not here to talk about a ghost,” Carter said with a sharp look at his cousin before he turned back to the surprised woman. “I’m here to talk about Ms. Lepedia’s murder-”

Gilly gasped again. “Was she a ballerina as well back then? Her name sounds like a Ruisis? I-I mean a Russian, right Gerald? Did she know the ghost? Was she part of the company that came that year?”

Carter nearly snapped when she said ghost again but instead he took in a breath and said, “Yes. So you are familiar with the incident?”

“Of course!” Gilly sat up and dashed over to her desk to grab a long white laptop. She pushed aside a black cat that had made the device its bed and then walked back to the men. They both slid aside in opposite directions to make room for Gilly to sit between them, but when she sat down she snuggled right up to Gerald with a sly smile he returned good-naturally. Carter rolled his eyes before scooting back towards the woman, his eyes on the laptop delicately placed upon her brown skirt.

“The database we’ve been working on hasn’t been launched to the public yet, but I’ve already downloaded everything I’ve found so far about what was documented about the disappearance.” She tapped away at the keyboard as she loaded up the information. “I’ll see if I can find more information later today. Lord knows there’s more to dig through and there’s some people I can contact as well.” She scanned the search results and gave a low whistle. “Quite the scandal here. Especially for those times. International relations were still a bit…strained.”

“Yeah, well, they didn’t call it World War II for kicks,” Carter commented.

“No indeed,” Gilly said as she searched. “Ah, here we are.”

A headline from the schools newspaper _Daily Bruin_ came up promoting the performance. Below that were even more articles anticipating the arrival of the foreign dancers and what the students and faculty were expecting with their visit.

“Do you have anything about after the disappearance?” Carter asked as he skimmed the wording.

“If I scroll further down. There’s an option to search for your results in chronological order for making research easier. Can keyword search as well if you’d like.” Gilly moved the page down and Carter saw article after article about the hype for Bolshoi company’s arrival to Galina’s eventual disappearance.

Carter sat back with a sigh. “There’s a lot of information here. Would you mind giving me the link and login access? I have a feeling this is going to take a while. Luckily my partner’s a sucker and loves this part of the investigation.”

“Absolutely!” Gilly nodded as she brought up her email and started sharing the information. “When you’re done with everything I’ll just change the password.” She looked up at Carter. “Do you really think something that happened seventy years ago has anything to do with this recent murder?” She then turned to Gerald. “Don’t call me a bangharda here but I’m thinking it seems a bit of a stretch.”

Carter took the laptop out of Gilly’s hands and typed in his email address before clicking on send. “Checking every possible avenue is an important part to a criminal investigation. The two incidents might not be related but at the least this research will help us understand the victim even more.”

He stood and reached a hand into his pocket. “I hope you don’t mind if I might need pick your brain a bit more in the future about this case.” He pulled out a card with his contact information on it. “Please call me anytime if you find more information about either case or if you remember or hear of anything that you think might be useful to us. No matter how insignificant you might think it is.”

Gilly took the card with a nod and stood when Gerald stood. “Despite the reasoning, it was a pleasure for you two to visit. As you can imagine I don’t get much excitement down here. Always a good thing to take some time off and enjoy yourself. Right?” She flashed a smile at Gerald as he turned and engulfed her in a big hug.

“Thanks, Gilly,” Gerald said before letting her go. “I owe you one of those double caramel lattes you love.”

“Prefer a pint myself,” Gilly said with a wink. “You’ve got my number.” 

* * *

 

This time it was Carter who was staring at Gerald as they drove towards the precinct.

“You should probably keep your eyes on the road,” Gerald commented without even turning to Carter. During most of the drive he’d been ignoring his cousin’s casual comments about how nice Gilly was or how cute her accent sounded. They were obvious openers but Gerald didn’t seem interested in biting.

“Alright I’m just going to come out and say it,” Carter finally exclaimed. He smacked his steering wheel in frustration. “Vibes man. She was throwing some serious vibes on you and you were just,” he waved his hand and made pinging noises, “deflecting them like an X-Wing attacking the Death Star. What gives?”

“Nothing. She just aint my type man,” Gerald answered with a shrug.        

 Carter scoffed as he drove into his police precinct’s parking lot. “Aint your type? When have you ever had a type?” He put his car into park and then turned in his seat. “You’ve dated the entire race rainbow three times over man. You have a type that don’t exists then?

Gerald sighed and tilted his head towards Carter, “Alright, look. Lot a people look at me, you can already guess what they’re thinking. Right?”

Carter nodded. He had been in that stereotyped positon more times than he could remember.

“And don’t get me wrong, if were just a casual thing, then yeah I wouldn’t mind spending some time with Gilly in an extra friendly way. She’s cute, and she’s down. But, I aint looking for anything long term with her, man. She’s got dreams going in one direction and I’ve got some going in another. And, you know, I don’t got a lot of people I can talk about stuff I’m super interested in. She don’t care if I want to come and hang for a while and just ramble on about old buildings and dead people. I like that, and I don’t want to lose it for one night of having a good time that I can just find somewhere else.”

Carter smirked at his cousin and whacked him a little hard on the shoulder. “Look at you making all these adult decisions. Not hooking up because you treasure her friendship and all that.”

Rolling his eyes Gerald exited the car. “See man. This is why I don’t tell you stuff. You just act all immature about it.”

“Hey!” Carter yelled at Gerald’s retreating back. “Hey, I am super mature!”

“I’ma get some lunch. See you a Didi’s tonight!” Gerald called back before heading out of the parking lot, down the street, and around the corner. He was already pulling out his phone to see who was around who he could get that lunch from with as little effort as possible.

Carter tsked at his cousin before getting out of his car and heading inside the precinct. As he walked he pulled out his phone to check if Lee or anyone else had gotten in touch with him. There were a few messages concerning other cases but that was about it.

With a sigh he scrolled through his contacts to give Lee a call. He wanted to get Didi on the task of going through the Galina’s original case file and also get started on the database Gilly had given him. But he wasn’t going to go talk the primary investigating detective without Lee, just as he promised.

“Ah, Detective Carter,” a voice pipped up from behind him that made him paused and turn around nervously. His Captain stood halfway out of her office with a look on her face that said she wasn’t pleased about something. Quickly, Carter racked his brain trying to remember if he recently did anything that would raise her ire. As of now he couldn’t think of any reason, but considering his increased frequency in carrying out some some less than by the book antics, he often didn’t need to do much too quickly get back onto her bad side.

“Captain. What do I owe the pleasure?” Carter flashed her his most winning smile. If he was in trouble, again, he would at least try and charm his way out while he was still oblivious to his current infraction.

“Do you remember what I told you over the phone the night you called to let me know Detective Lee was in the hospital following his assault?” She stepped out of her office and folded her arms. That move always reminded him of a principle about to yell at her most disappointing student.

“Um,” Carter scrunched his face up in thought. “What mess did you get Lee into this time?”

“Yes.” She drew out the answer in a way that said it wasn’t what wanted to hear. “But, I also said I wanted you to keep an eye on him because I didn’t want to see Lee back in this building until he was one hundred percent better.”

“Well, yeah. He’s at Didi’s taking it easy. Just left him there this morning.”

“Oh really?” Cole walked out of her office and crooked her finger for Carter to follow her down the hallway. He frowned, confused, but obeyed. “Um, I was just about to give him a call to check up on him. If you need to discuss something?”

“Oh, no need,” Cole stopped just short of the opening to the glass office area where his and Lee’s desks were situated and gestured. “I can just ask Detective Lee myself. In person.”

Carter followed his Captain’s gaze and found his partner at his own desk, painfully hunched over it with an arm protectively wrapped around his ribs. He didn’t notice their arrival as he was glued to some files laid out in front of him.

“What?” Carter exclaimed. “Damnit, Lee.”

“Now, just because I’ve seen every episode of _House_ doesn’t mean I’m a doctor. However, the way Lee’s breathing is labored and that thin layer of sweat on his forehead? That tells me he is not one hundred percent better. And you know what happens to detectives when they work on cases and aren’t a hundred percent? They make mistakes. The kind of mistakes that let very bad criminals back onto the streets. And you know how much I hate that.”

“I hear you Captain,” Carter shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned to his superior. “I’ll keep a better eye on him.”

“I can understand Lee’s stubbornness,” Cole said with some sympathy. “It’s a big part of what makes him such a good detective. But it can also cause some avoidable problems if it’s not kept in check.” She glared at Carter for a moment. “Check it Detective.” Then she walked away.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Carter nodded and looked at his partner with frustration before he began walking towards him. If he wasn’t so over the moon for the guy he would deck him for being so careless with his health. When he came over to Lee’s desk the man looked up at him and jerked back in surprise.

“Carter,” he began slowly.

“Hey there, Lee,” Carter smiled innocently and kept his tone extra friendly as he grabbed his desk chair and rolled it over so he could sit right next to Lee. “Wasn’t expecting to see you here, buddy.”

Lee regarded Carter’s calm demeanor warily as his partner reached over and plucked a file out of Lee’s hands.

“What’s this here, huh?” Carter flipped it open and scanned the first page. “Nadia Lepedia’s case file?” He looked up at Lee. “I thought we were going to talk to Detective Lang together about looking into his case? Over the phone? From Didi’s?”

Lee cleared his throat uncomfortably at how uncharacteristically relaxed Carter seemed to be acting. “I-uh figured while you were looking into Gerald’s lead at the university I would expedite our efforts and get more information. So I spoke to Detective Lang about us looking into the connection.” He paused for a moment before he continued. “I thought asking him in person would have a better outcome.”

“Really huh?” Carter asked looking up at Lee. “So, you came all the way down here from Didi’s, got in touch with Detective Lang in Homicide, then came on over to your desk to work on the case here.” He sat forward a bit more in his chair. “So tell me, how’re you feeling now, Lee? You must have used some special Chinese Kung Fu magic to become all better to leave the house after you promised you’d stay. Am I right?”

Lee shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I’m fine-”

“Are you?” Carter cut him off his voice edging into frustrated disbelief. “Are you really?”

“Yes-” He didn’t get to finish his sentence. Carter quickly jabbed him in the ribs and Lee nearly fell to the floor, doubled over in pain.

“The hell you think you’re trying to pull, Lee?” Carter scoffed at his gasping partner. “Cole wants you home, resting, and that’s what you’re going to do. She even said it was an order. I know how much you love those.”

“The case-” Lee tried, gritting back a moan through his teeth when he spoke. Carter didn’t even hit him that hard, practically a quick tap, but it was enough to reverberate pain throughout his entire chest. He hadn’t broken any ribs in the fall but they were bruised enough that even breathing could sometimes be difficult.

“We can work on it. At home. Got a bunch of boring research to go through that you can enjoy from the comfort of a couch with some painkillers.” Carter stood and tucked the file under his arm before he shut off Lee’s computer and then grabbed his partner’s jacket to slide it over his shoulder.

Lee looked up at Carter through his disheveled hair and tired eyes. Carter had to clench his hand into a fist to keep himself from running his fingers comfortingly through Lee’s beautiful dark locks. For a brief moment Carter felt bad for adding to his pain, but he tucked it away. Captain Cole wasn’t wrong when she commented on his partner’s stubborn nature and he could agree that sometimes Lee needed a more forceful hand in helping him make sure he was being taken care of. He could easily bet that before they became partners, Lee hadn’t had anyone in his life that he could count on to do that in a long time.

And if he couldn’t have Lee as his lover, then he’d be his friend, his rock in this crazy world in any way that he could.

Carter knelt down and gently grasped Lee’s arm to help him stand. “I don’t need any help,” Lee muttered defensively and gave a half-hearted move to step away. Carter just tsked at him and slid his arm around his waist. He tried not to revel too much in their close touching, but his rapidly beating heart gave that away.

“Boy, getting thrown down a flight of stairs really makes you cranky. Remind me the next time we get into a fight to just cut holes in your ugly ass suits or something. You do not handle physical pain well at all.”

Lee looked like he was about to argue with him, whether it was about his attitude or threating his beloved suits Carter wasn’t sure, but instead Lee seemed to deflate a bit in exhaustion and said, “I think I handled getting shot that one time pretty well.”

“Yeah, you did. And, look, I’ma being honest here. If I were in your position I know I’d be acting like a stubborn mule too. But if we’re going to jump into this case with you at your half best then I want to make sure you at least come back out of it in one piece.”

Lee turned to Carter and offered him a half smile. “I did not realize you cared.”

“I care about Captain Cole not demoting me to the night shift in Hollywood because her favorite Orlando Bloom look-a-like detective bit it while under my care.” Carter got them to the elevator and punched the button to take them down to the parking garage.

But if Lee noticed how Carter avoided his eyes and nervously ran the back of his hand across his cheek to make sure they weren’t burning, his partner remained silent.

* * *

 

Lee woke to the sound of rain gently patting the windows across the room. His head felt like it was stuffed with the same mound of cotton that made his mouth so dry it hurt to swallow. Painkillers never sat well with him, but that afternoon Carter wouldn’t let him touch the case files until he’d eaten some pizza and downed a couple white pills to ease the nagging soreness in his entire body.

Thinking of Carter made his eyes open. He was in Carter’s apartment, snugly tucked into his black pleather couch. After leaving the precinct Lee expected his partner to bring him back to Didi’s, but after he fell asleep during the drive he awoke to Carter gently helping him out of the Chenille in front of a building he rarely visited.

“I can keep a better eye on you when I don’t have to worry about leaving every once in a while. Can get some damn laundry done too,” Carter explained as he opened the door to the apartment. Since they became partners Lee hadn’t spent too much time in Carter’s home. Not by choice though. It was just easier to gather at Didi’s since Lee lived there too and their partner could spend time with her son. That Didi was a damn good cook was a definite plus. They often returned the favor by helping out with the house and watching Derrick occasionally.

Carter’s pad hadn’t changed much since the last time Lee stopped by. He had filled the basic living areas with all the essentials a young bachelor working a demanding profession needed: a big screen TV for sports games, a black pleather couch that was surprisingly comfortable to sleep on, and a small table for eating and the occasional impromptu poker game. Only a few pictures of Didi, her son, and Gerald and his grandmother passed for decoration.

That day’s slow descent into evening was most likely the longest Lee had spent inside Carter’s home. He craned his head to the side to see the sky slowly turning dark through the wet windows. He made a move to get up but realized he was pinned down.

As he ran a tired hand across his eyes he looked down at his body to find Carter halfway sprawled along his legs, his head resting on Lee’s flat stomach. The realization they were touching like that sent a little jolt through Lee’s body that was soon replaced with panic. He didn’t want to wake Carter and have him act awkward that he had fallen asleep on him. He didn’t even remember falling asleep, but Carter was definitely awake when he did.

He swallowed down a slight surge of panic. Since Lee’s parents were taken from him at an early age, and despite a few brief exceptions, his affection for his sister had always dominated whatever space he had in his heart for love. When he thought he’d lost her, he swore that after he was able to avenger her death he’d never open his heart again.

But when he discovered Kim was alive, everything had changed. He could no longer love and protect her the way he always had. Their relationship, their entire dynamic of how they saw each other, had shifted into pieces of a puzzle that even when it was solved, those pieces would never fit quite right again. And while that might not be a bad thing for their relationship now that they have a better understanding of each other, during those long months of displacement his empty heart had cracked a small opening that hadn’t been there in years.

And in that opening Carter had snuck his way through before Lee had even realized what had happened.

Granted, Lee would do just about anything for his friends here in L.A. Even before he became an orphan, close friendships were hard for him to maintain, and the easy acceptance he received from his new little family still threw him at times. But Carter wasn’t like anyone he’d ever known and the way he felt still threw him more than he’d like to admit. The man’s ego was larger than his personality, but Lee couldn’t imagine ever being without him as a partner. They were a damn good team, and if Lee were being unbearably honest with himself, he would fight tooth and nail to make sure they stayed that way.

Which was why, even when the slow but undeniable desire to run his hand along Carter’s soft hair to gently wake the man spread through his chest like a smoldering wild fire, he tampered it down. He’d known for a while his affection for the man was growing, but that was where it had to end.

Since they first met, Carter’s actions towards women made it extremely clear they were his preference when it came to romantic partners. And Lee had no problems with that. He could live with Carter never being his, just as long as Carter was in his life. He wouldn’t dare risk losing him or the family he had grown to love.

And while homosexuality had its ups and downs in the states, growing up in Hong Kong it was generally frowned upon, though luckily public opinion was slowly changing in recent years. He knew without a doubt, had his parents lived, they never would have accepted that part of himself. He’d kept it hidden for so long and tried throughout his life to pretend to be ‘normal’. Because embracing that side of him, for now at least back in China, meant he couldn’t marry another man. Could never raise children with him. Even Kim wasn’t aware that his attraction could go beyond women. Work was a perfect way to ignore his curiosities, and he was often able to use it as an excuse when he couldn’t force himself to be in a relationship with someone he knew he would never grow to care about beyond what he was trying to hide.

He’d never even attempted to be with a man before, but he would be lying if he hadn’t wondered. And with Carter, he hadn’t dared hoped.

The sound of Carter’s phone suddenly ringing jerked the man awake. It happened so fast Lee didn’t even think about whether he should pretend he was asleep. Instead he just laid there, waiting to see what his partner’s reaction would be.

Without sitting up, Carter moaned and reached out a hand towards the battered coffee table. It took a couple tries but eventually he was able to grasp his iPhone and answer a groggy, “Hello?” after he checked to see who was calling.

The voice on the other end spoke for a while. Lee half listened and half tried calming his racing heart. Carter was still using his stomach as a pillow like it was the most normal place for him to be. Physical affection between them had always been strictly limited to quick man hugs, adolescent inside handshakes and the occasional frustrated whack on a shoulder. What was happening now was crossing that invisible ubermale barrier of appropriate touching and it seemed Carter just didn’t give a damn. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Carter groaned and rolled over onto his back before sitting up. Lee let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and watched Carter run a hand over his head, a motion that often clued Lee into how frustrated his partner was.

“Alright. Alright fine. Just make sure she’s around to introduce us. And this better not be a waste of time Gerald.” Carter shut off his phone and tossed it back onto the table. He then turned to Lee and grimaced before he flopped back onto the couch.

“How the hell do I get myself into these messes?” He sighed and reached out towards the table to grab a file. After Carter brought them back to his apartment and properly fed and drugged Lee, they spent a few hours going through both cases as well as monitoring Didi’s messages as she salvaged the database Gilly had provided them. As they often did in cases, they created a whole new case file and then picked and chose what information might be relevant.

On a big white board Carter kept at his home, they had the pictures of Galina and Nadia side by side. All around them were notes and comments linking or separating the two women, interspersed with arrows and questions.

On another board beside the victim’s, information about the Quantou and its affiliations with Russia or World War II in any way were listed. Members, both dead and alive, had tangled with the Russian underworld on multiple accounts over the past century. Their involvement included arms dealing, narcotics, and trafficking Chinese art and sculptures in a number of cases. But, any ties between the former Chinese mob and these ballerinas were nonexistent.        

So far, regarding Galina, their efforts hadn’t garnered anything newer than what the previous detective had put together. But with Nadia’s case intertwined with Galina’s they were able to put together a tentative timeline that allowed the two women to intersect before one of their path’s abruptly ended. It was obvious there were pieces of this puzzle missing, and they were both more than eager to put them together. 

“Gerald has another lead?” Lee asked as he shifted to sit up. He moved with more ease than he had this morning and reluctantly, though silently, had to admit that Carter was right. He did need more rest.

“Hmm,” Carter answered looking down at the file. Lee opened his mouth to ask him to elaborate but before he knew what was happening Carter had reached out and idly ran a hand along Lee’s left foot covered by a long blanket. He seemed to be lost in thought at what he was reading and didn’t even realize what he was doing.

Lee sucked in another surprised breath as Carter began to speak. “That Irish chick over at UCLA I told you about?”

Swallowing down nerves, Lee watched Carter’s hand smoothly glide up and down along the white fabric. He almost had to shake his head to clear his mind. “The one who wants to hook up with Gerald?”

Carter nodded and turned to Lee. “She said that she found some information we might be interested in. Stuff that hasn’t made its way into the database yet.”

“And the introduction?”

Carter’s eyes shot to the ceiling. “I cannot believe I’m going to say this but Gilly wants me to meet someone who might have recordings of Galina.”

“Recordings?” Lee asked.

“Yeah…like ghostly recordings.” Carter said and brought his hands up to his eyes to rub them in annoyance. “From beyond the grave and all that.”

Lee had to clench his hands at his sides to keep them from reaching out and placing Carter’s hand back on his foot. He didn’t want the physical contact to end, but he knew he couldn’t initiate it. He told himself that Carter was just being nice to him because he was injured. There was no reason to look any further into it besides that.

Clearing his throat Lee said, “Sounds like a waste of time.”

Laughing Carter stood and then swiftly took off his shirt. Between the touching and Carter’s insistence on taking care of him, this next action nearly sent Lee over the edge. His mind was a mess of emotions and it didn’t help that he was coming off some very strong painkillers and a long, disorienting nap he wasn’t fully awake from yet.

Carter tucked the shirt into the back pocket of his jeans and stretched. His muscles and tendons taunt under soft, dark skin Lee ached to run his hands along. He wondered if it would be too obvious to grab a pillow and just place it over his lap.

Finishing his yawn Carter turned back to Lee with a sleepy smile. “I’m going to hop into the shower to try and wake myself up a bit before I head out.”

“I’m coming with you,” Lee demanded and tried to stand. It took effort not to wince but he was able to make it without keeling over in pain. He stammered for a moment after he realized what he had said. “To the university I mean. Not-not to the uh-” he gestured a hand towards the bathroom door and desperately wished he could make himself stop blushing.

Carter raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, cause standing up right there didn’t look like it hurt at all.”

“I’m just stiff,” Lee began and then mentally kicked himself at the second innuendo he wasn’t intending. “Once I move around a bit I will be fine.”

Carter hesitated but then sighed. “Fine. I said I’d keep an eye on you and chances are you’ll just hop a cab there anyway.” He walked towards the bathroom and called out, “But if any ballerina ninjas or anything like that jumps out and starts causing trouble I do the fighting okay? You’re already hurt enough.”

“Fine. I will leave the ninja’s wearing tutus up to you,” Lee deadpanned back as he watched Cater open the bathroom door.

Carter turned back to Lee and gave him a sympathetic look. “There you go again. Thinking you’re all sorts of funny. Gotta work on that boy.”

When Lee heard the water running he sat back down on the couch and ran his hands through his hair before shifting uncomfortably to adjust the sudden problem between his legs as he tried not to imagine a wet, naked Carter in the room next to him. He turned to the spot where Carter had been laying on him minutes ago and his heart lurched with longing. He sighed before standing to go take another painkiller. It was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a short chapter. Busy weekend. Next week there will be more!

“You hear anything from your sister?”

Carter’s sudden question broke Lee out of his trance. He had to shake his head a bit to clear his mind and focus. Before they left he’d only taken half a pill but it was still strong enough to set him off balance.

“What?” He asked in a groggy tone, making sure he heard his partner correctly. The rain had decided to continue so Carter put the cover up over his vehicle as they drove. The patter on the fabric wasn’t loud, and its gentle rhythm was enough to lull Lee almost back to sleep.

“Hey. Wake up. You’re the one who said you didn’t want any coffee,” Carter said. “I’m asking about Kim. You heard back from her yet? See if she was the one who was with Lepedia that night?”

“She has not gotten back in touch with me.” Lee answered with a sigh. “The closest I got to her was her handler who said he would relay the message.”

Carter raised an eyebrow. “Her handler? Sounds like she’s doing pretty good back home. Right in the thick of things.”

“Just where she wants to be,” Lee muttered as he watched the buildings pass by.

Carter shot him a look. “You worried about her?”

“Would you be worried about Gerald if he were in the thick of things where he could get hurt?” Lee asked his partner as he turned to him.

“Aw man,” Carter shook his head. “You can’t really compare the two. I’ve seen Kim fight and how bad-ass she was when she pretended to be part of the Quantou. Gerald though? He can’t even figure out what kind of cartoon popsicle he wants when the ice cream truck comes by.”

Lee couldn’t stop the small smile inching up the side of his face. “I guess you are right.”

“C’mon man. You know I’m right. Kim is a straight up, hard core fighter who can take care of herself. And you know how I know that?”

“Enlighten me,” Lee said.

“Because I know her brother,” Carter said and turned to Lee. Lee sucked in a breath and they locked eyes for a moment. “I know her brother and that he is a good man with good values who made sure his sister knew which side of the law she belonged on. And while she was on that side, how to protect herself and those around her.” Carter finally had to turn away so he could pay attention to the road. However, Lee couldn’t stop staring at the man.

“You did the best you could by her, Lee.” Carter shrugged. “That’s all you can do for anyone you care about.”

Lee broke his gaze and turned back to the road as well. Silence surrounded them for a moment as Lee weighed Carter’s words. They meant more to him than he could say. And since he couldn’t say it, instead he joked, “So, do you think Gerald will ever do his best by Gilly?”

Carter laughed. “Lee, you keep it hidden under that tight-ass suit, but you a dawg man.”

Lee smiled and held back a chuckle.

A few minutes later Carter pulled up to UCLA and parked in the visitors’ lot outside Royce Hall. Carter led the way to the entrance where he saw Gilly waiting for him in the vestibule with Gerald.

“Detective Carter,” Gilly said as she stood to shake hands with him. “Thank you for coming again on such short notice.”

Nodding, Carter answered, “Anything that might help the case.” He turned and gestured beside him. “And this is my partner, Detective Lee.”

As she shook hands with Lee, Gilly smiled excitedly and said, “Right! The ninja. Gerald’s told me all about you, mate. I’m a huge fan of the way you can beat up bad guys all the time like in those action movies Americans seem to love.”

Carter had to turn away and cough to hide his chuckle. But when he turned back he could see the annoyed glare Lee was giving Gerald.

“What?” Gerald asked as he looked between the two men. “Am I wrong? Tell me I’m wrong. I dare you.”

“You are wrong,” Lee said with a huff. “I am not a ninja. That is Japan. I am trained in the martial arts. Those are two very different things.”

“Whatever man. I’ve seen you fight and honestly all you need is a black outfit and some bad-ass sword.” Gerald paused to make a sweeping gesture with his hands as if he were cutting something in half with a weapon. “And you would fit right into a Ninja Turtle movie. Like, the Shredder. Or Splinter at least. Know what I’m saying?”

“No,” Lee deadpanned, not amused.

“And we’re moving on,” Carter interrupted his cousin before he began another rant. “You had some more information for us?”

“Yes.” Gilly reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small black flash drive. “I did some more digging and found some old testimonies and reports from Galina’s disappearance. Apparently, the school did their own investigation separate from the police. I don’t know if it will be any help with your current case, however.”

Carter reached out to pluck the device from her hand. “Like I said. Any little bit helps.”

But Gilly took a step back and put the flash drive back into her pocket. “Gerald said not to give it to you until after you’ve spoken with Professor Shen.”

“Gerald!” Carter exclaimed at his cousin who held up his hands defensively.

“Bro. You’ve got to talk to him okay? He’s been here for ages and he wants to help.”

“Okay. How can he help?” Lee asked reluctantly after he and Carter exchanged an exasperated glance. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like the answer.

Gerald and Gilly turned to each other and exchanged a wide smile.


	6. Chapter 6

“Oh my God you’ve found yourself a Doc Brown,” Carter mumbled quietly from the stage inside Royce Hall. He nearly sucker punched Gerald when he hushed him and then nudged him in the side

“Gentlemen! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I trust this evening finds you well?”

Despite the lack of staticky white hair and a long lab coat, Dr. Martin Shen had all the passion and energy of a mad scientist destined to create the impossible. He was taller than the group standing before him at 6’2 and though he looked about eighty he walked perfectly fine without any hint that age had affected him. He was ethnically Asian but when he saw Lee he didn’t inquire about his nationality.

Behind him on the stage a long table displayed a slew of big and small electrical devices that reminded Carter of some of the toys they had back at the precinct. Some of them looked decades old, and the layer of dust coating some of them confirmed that theory.

“We’ve been told that you might be able to help us with our investigation, Doctor?” Lee inquired politely, though from his stance Carter could tell he was less than pleased about having to meet with the man. It slightly unnerved Carter that he was getting so good at reading his partner’s body language. He then became worried that Lee could do the same with him and suddenly didn’t know how to stand. He felt awkward and shoved his hands in his pockets only to take them back out again and shove them into his jacket.

Shen turned to Carter and looked straight into his eyes. “You’re fine there son. Not too worry.”

Lee looked confused at Carter and, after blinking away the surprise, Carter then turned to Lee and gave him a shrug before he cleared his throat nervously.

“And to answer your question Mr. - my apologies, Detective Lee, Galina will be the one helping you. Not I. I’m only here to make sure she receives your message: that you intend to shed some light onto the truth of her unfortunate death.”

Carter resisted rolling his eyes as Lee asked, “So, you believe that she is dead?”

“I regret to say it but, yes. According to my research, she most definitely is.” He sighed sadly. “Her death was such a waste. But I also don’t think either of you want to waste your time looking for someone who can’t be found. In our plane of existence at least.” He nodded towards the two men. “I appreciate you taking the time to come out and talk with an old man who, I’m sure by the time you leave, will most likely think is a little bit off his rocker.”

“Don’t need to wait till then,” Carter muttered quietly. Lee gave him a sharp look before turning back to the man to speak.

“Your belief that Galina’s spirit is still here isn’t uncommon. In my country, we believe that if someone dies, and the correct rites are not performed, their spirit is trapped to wander in the afterlife. Such a fate could even impact the dead’s relatives, bringing them misfortune.” He gave a small shrug. “Superstitions are not uncommon where I come from.”

The professor gave Lee an appreciative smile as he slid into the chair in front of the table and started fiddling with the machines in front of him. He gestured for the others to move closer with a wrinkled hand.

“A mysterious disappearance would definitely fit that profile. And, believe it or not, there was a time when it was not that far out of reach to consider studying such things as a respectable field of interest. At least within this campus.” He turned the knobs and flipped some buttons which allowed the old machinery to turn on with a low, thrumming whir.

“Dr. Shen here works in the department of Asian American studies,” Gilly explained to the three men. “But he wasn’t always associated with it.”

“That is true, Miss Gilly,” the doctor said. “Before I transferred to that department, I first came to this school on a request to work in the parapsychology lab here when it originally opened in 1967 until the school gave up on supporting our efforts nine years later.”

“They had a lab for studying ghosts here?” Carter asked as he looked over the devices to see if he could understand how these simple looking machines could have any influence in detecting the dead.

“Not just for ghosts, Detective Carter. Telekinesis, hypnosis, clairvoyance…we wanted to tear apart the veil that separated us from the truths of all things considered paranormal.” Dr. Shen laughed and shook his head. “Those were good times,” he then sighed and sat back, “and difficult times.”

“We were all able to self-direct our work. I was more focused on telepathy, but communicating with those who had passed on was something I dabbled in occasionally. I’ve always been a lover of ghost stories and old myths.” He gestured towards the building they were in. “Back in the seventies, when our department was operational, in my spare time I liked to putter around and see what I could find out about the infamous ghost of Royce Hall I’d heard so much about.”

He flipped a switch and only the small crackle of static echoed within the old building for a while before the faintest strings of a violin began to play.

Carter had just begun to wonder who was playing and what song it was when Shen said, “That was me.” His voice just above a whisper and his eyes rose to meet Carter’s. “Tchaikovsky’s _Swan Lake_. Sometimes it helps the spirit to latch onto something familiar to make their presence known.” Long, mournful notes interspersed with jolts of song echoed through the speaker describing a small piece of the famous libretto.

“Here now,” Shen said as he beckoned the small group closer. “There.”

No one spoke. No one breathed. No one commented on how, in the background, faintly, they could hear the quite, hopeless sound of someone, somewhere, sobbing.

* * *

 

Lee had once called his mother a free spirit, but that description was a severe understatement to those who once knew her. And to know her was to love everything about her. She loved art and music, sad movies and history books. Their small apartment could come alive with the sound of the Beatles echoing from the living room and the smell of _shao mai_ wafting from the kitchen. On weekends, when his father worked overtime, she would drag him and his sister to museums and bookstores and hidden parts of the city they never knew about. Culture and knowledge were her passions, and her one desire in life was to share with her children all the wonders the world could give to them as long as they took the time to look. 

Before her disappearance, there were times when his sister stood in a certain slant of light, or if she furrowed her brow just so, he could see his mother shining through like he was looking at a small glimpse of the past. It was comforting in a way that was completely opposite to when he looked at himself in the mirror after a hard day of work in his inherited profession, and the exhaustion and hopelessness he often saw in his father echoed clearly in his own tired eyes.

Sometimes, he wondered if his sister saw too much of his father in him as well, and it was just another checkmark on her long list of reasons why she decided to leave. 

One other aspect his sister shared with their mother was her beauty. Her mother possessed the careless ability to know she was attractive without needing to emphasize it. But, when she did put the effort in, it was always for their father. And the most beautiful Lee had ever seen her was when she was dressed up for her birthday one year when he was ten. She had taken her children into the markets of Hong Kong and bought a new dress, then after teaching Lee how to clean his grandmother’s jewelry he spent the afternoon in turn teaching his toddler little sister until his mother walked out of her bedroom done up nicer than he’d ever seen in a black silk sheath dress and silver and pearls that had survived since his country was once bathed in only red and yellow.

When his father inevitably called and told his waiting wife that he could not make their date because of a case, she put up the brave front her son would grow to adopt from her until she placed the phone back onto the receiver, sunk into the couch, and let go of the quiet tears she held back every time the love of her life disappointed her.

However, she hadn’t expected her young son to walk up to her and hold out his tiny hand before saying, “I’ll go with you, Ma Ma.”

Considering what Lee has seen and been through, nightmares didn’t often plague him. But occasionally in his dreams, a part of him sometimes acknowledged that what was happening wasn’t right. That the replay of he and his mother walking into a theater with slow, jolted moments interspersed with awkward stilted movements told him that this was a memory. This wasn’t real.

On stage the pale women without eyes were dressed in the whitest tulle he’d ever seen. They glided on air with the effortlessness of a swan skimming water. He knew the music, not perfect but still longingly, achingly beautiful blended notes combined with the efforts of talented fingers and ears toned for passionate, timeless sounds.

And on the center stage were Galina and Nadia. Both were the as old as the pictures he saw them in their youth. They danced in sync, their long limbs as white as stars matching every pirouette, leap and bow. And though Galina’s blond hair and long limbs did little to match Nadia’s raven black locks and toned body, they were both missing their mouths. As he watched them dance he began to realize the theater was no longer the large, imposing building he remembered as a child, but the now modern Royce Hall.

It all came to a halting, screeching end when he turned to his side to see his mother, blood pouring out of her eyes, then out of her mouth, speak to him with a smile through reddened teeth. “It is not over, Lee.”

* * *

 

Jolting up in his bed Lee gasped in giant gulps of air to calm his heart racing faster than a bird loosing flight. It took him a few moments to orientate himself until he realized he was in his room at Didi’s house.

It was dark, nearing three in the morning when he checked his iPhone. He looked out of his open door and could see the outline of the hallway that led to the living room. The comforting familiarity of the loving house helped ease his sudden nerves.

Quietly, he grabbed a white t-shirt discarded on the floor and slid it on before he stood and walked out of the room. On the couch in the living room a passed out Carter laid sprawled in an awkward position, his limbs jutted out at strange angles half off the couch.

Lee smiled fondly at the man. After their visit with the former parapsychologist Carter drove Lee back to Didi’s, then hemmed and hawed at the door until Lee finally dragged the man inside with him. Both were a little shaken up at what they heard on the audio, though neither would verbally admit it, and Lee couldn’t blame Carter for not wanting to go back to an empty apartment to spend the night there alone.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t tease Carter about it for a while. Didi always had an open door policy with her former partner and though he didn’t use it often, the couch was unofficially designated a spare bed for him whenever he needed it. After they entered the house Lee casually offered to stay up with Carter and watch a movie until he became tired.

It wasn’t until Lee had chosen the third scary movie playing on the TV as an option that Carter kicked his partner out of the living room, telling him to get some damn sleep because at this rate someone should be half awake in the morning and chances are it wasn’t going to be him.

At the time Lee would have bet it would have been himself. In general he didn’t sleep much, a habit he picked up when he had to get up at dawn to travel through the city to drop his sister off for school before reaching his own, then spending long afternoons and nights at martial arts practice.

Because of that unexpected nap that afternoon he expected to be tossing and turning all night. But his body once again needed the rest more than he realized and before he knew it, he was tumbling into that dream of his mother and a memory he long ago pushed aside.

Lee walked over to the blanket that had fallen onto the floor and placed it back over Carter’s body. In a sudden rush of boldness, he gently began to run the back of his hand along Carter’s cheek but then stopped as fear took hold of him again.

He sighed. The rush of conflicting emotions swirling around in his chest frustrated him. He wasn’t used to feeling so much at once and it made him wish there was some way he could just turn it all off, just for a while, until he could get back on even ground again.

He walked back into his bedroom and grabbed his iPhone before reaching into his duffle to pull out a bottle of Baijiu, a rice wine his father used to drink.

In general, Lee didn’t indulge in alcohol very often. He could enjoy a beer with Carter or, if the occasion called for it, easily indulge in something stronger like a good whiskey or some tasteful gin. But in moments of solitude when he needed something that called to his soul a bit more, he would drink to his fallen father’s memory. The scent, the taste, it brought him closer to man who shaped his childhood and future more than any memory could.  

Grabbing a tumbler in the kitchen on his way out the backdoor, Lee settled on the steps of Didi’s back porch. The rain had stopped a couple hours ago and because of the warm L.A. weather most of the concrete was nearly dry. However, the wet earth was taking its time drinking up its watery treat and the smell of soaked grass permeated the air.

Lee deeply breathed in the fresh scent and allowed it to spread through his body to help settle it. That everyone he cared about, especially Carter, were safely asleep helped, but he needed this quiet reminder of earth to keep him focused.

He poured some of the Baijiu into a glass and took his time drinking it, thinking about his father and his mother. And the dream. It’s not that he had forgotten the time his mother and he had gone to the ballet together when he was child. But he hadn’t connected the case and that time from his childhood as of yet.      

Suddenly his phone rang. He knew it was his sister without looking at the device but it still surprised him. He hadn’t been expecting to hear back from her so soon.

Taking a in a deep breath he picked up the phone and answered, “Hello _mei mei_.”

She scoffed. “How did you know it was me? I’m using a Sat phone.”

He continued the conversation in his native language. “I’m not sure where you are but in L.A. it’s almost three in the morning. I would only get calls around this time unless it’s work related.” He took another sip from the tumbler. “Also the only person I know who would use a Sat phone would of course be my secret agent little sister.”

“Ah. Sarcasm. You’ve been spending too much time around the Americans,” she said, but there was laughter in her voice.

“Are you alright?” He leaned back onto the porch. He knew she couldn’t give him specifics about her mission. But that didn’t matter when her welfare was all he cared about.

“I’m fine. Though I don’t know if I can say the same for my new partner for much longer.”

“How so?”

She sighed. “He’s an incredibly frustrating man.”

“Most men are, from what you’ve told me.”

“And from Scotland no less! As if the American’s weren’t hard enough to understand this man practically has his own language when he swears he’s speaking English. If he tells me to bugger off, whatever that means, one more time I’m going to put him in a chokehold until he turns blue.”

Lee chuckled at his sisters ramblings. It felt good to speak with her again, to talk in their shared language and not have to try so hard. It did more for his soul than the sweet air and burning liquid combined.

“If he’s smart enough to be assigned to work with you I’m sure he will soon learn not to mess with you as well,” Lee said. “And if that doesn’t work then you tell him your big brother will come over to whatever country you’re in and sort him out.”

Amused, Kim said, “I’m sure that’ll do it. Just as I’m sure you’ve told your American friends your secret agent little sister will kick their asses if anything happens to her brother.”

“I think the message stands on its own.” Lee rolled his eyes.

“So,” Kim began hopefully. “Is this phone call you trying to tell me that you’ve reconsidered moving back to China?”

Sadly, Lee leaned forward to rest his elbow on his knee to run a hand through his hair. “I’m afraid not.”

Kim sighed, clearly frustrated. “I’m still not sure why you decided to stay in the first place.”

“It’s complicated.” Lee tried. “But, it’s where I want to be right now.”

She paused and Lee knew she was considering his words. “Where you want to be…or there’s someone who you want to be with?”

Lee winced but kept his voice even. “That’s…no. That’s not why.”

She laughed quietly and luckily could tell he wanted to let it go. “Alright, _ge ge_. I’ll let it go for now. And as much as I would love to get back to complaining about my partner all day, I guess night for you, my handler said that you needed to get in touch with me. That it was important.”

Lee placed the empty glass onto the step beside him and ran a hand through his hair again, not sure where to begin. “Yes. It has to do with a case that I’m working on.”

“How can I help?” Kim asked.

Lee felt his guts twist as he forced himself to ask, “Do you remember meeting a woman named Nadia Lepedia? When you were working undercover for the Quantou?”

Silence. He pushed on. “She was a retired owner of a dance studio in Hollywood who was found dead at UCLA in their Royce Hall building. Suffocated, though her body was left on the stage.” He closed his eyes and ran a tired hand over them. “A witness placed an unidentified suspect who matches your description with the victim right before her death.” He looked longingly over at the bottle of Baijiu but held back from pouring another drink. “A suspect with the Quantou symbol on their neck.”

“Lee,” Kim began than stopped, her voice unreadable.

“I know you were not the only woman working for the Quantou. I’m not…accusing you. But if you know what I’m talking about then I need you to tell me, Kim.”

“I don’t understand. Why is this case so important for you? It doesn’t sound very high profile,” Kim said.

“Until I know more, an innocent woman was murdered. That’s important enough for me.”

Kim sighed. “Don’t you think it’s a little strange that you ended up with a case that involves a suspect that has ties to me?”

Lee stood and paced a few steps. That she basically admitted that she was associated with the victim began to make him worried.

“The case has to do with an older missing person’s case that recently…came to my attention.” Lee gave Kim a brief rundown of the disappearance of Nadia’s former troupe member. However, he left out just how he came in possession of the case. Even now, after how much she had him, he still felt the instinct to spare his sister of anything that could upset her.

“Does it really matter?” Kim asked. “Finding out what happened to a woman who disappeared decades ago. She’s most likely dead.”

“And Nadia is definitely dead,” Lee said, trying to keep his voice from rising. “And definitely murdered. And you were there, weren’t you? Please _mei mei_. Tell me what happened.”

Silence hung between them for a few agonizing moments before Kim finally spoke, her voice soft. “I didn’t kill her.”

Lee let out a slow breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“But… _ge ge_ …” Kim continued, her voice halting and strained. “I did kill others for the Dragon.”

Her words hit Lee like a truck. He walked over to the steps, grabbed the bottle of rice wine and took a long swig before he heavily sat back down to lay his tired, hurting head into his hand as his throat burned only slightly less than his heart. He had never wanted that for her. The unbearable burden of taking a life. For people of conscience, it could become a stain on your soul that would never wash away. He knew she had chosen this life to help people, and she had, but it still ached to know that the young girl who sobbed into his shoulder and wouldn’t let go of his hand the day they buried their parents was now responsible for the burial of others.

“ _Ge ge_ ,” she said again to get his attention. It suddenly struck Lee that it had been years since she had used that endearment. “I didn’t want you to know because I know you’d take responsibility for it. But you don’t have to. It was my choice.” She sighed. “Joseph Yun wasn’t the only person I worked with. If the people the Dragon ordered me to kill were innocent I worked with a group who got them into protection. And those who weren’t innocent…” She trailed off. Lee didn’t need her to continue.

“You had to have suspected,” Kim said with some desperation. “To be initiated into the Quantou I had to prove myself. If I didn’t do it, someone else would. Someone who didn’t care about people being innocent or not.”

“And the officers who died when you faked your death?” Lee demanded. He took another drink, the liquid making his head swim along with her words.

“I did not know that was going to happen,” she said. Lee could tell by her tone that his question surprised and wounded her. That she would have sacrificed members of their precinct for an undercover operation should have seemed as impossible as her lying about her death. “I was supposed to meet with Fong after the drop. They took us by surprise. You know that.”

“I thought I knew you were dead and I was wrong about that.” The bitter words stuck in Lee’s throat. He closed his eyes, then rubbed his fingers along where a headache was starting to form.

“ _Dage_ -” Kim tried but Lee cut her off.

“I understand. Kim. I know you did what you had to do to bring down the Quantou. L.A. and Hong Kong are all the safer because of it.” He took in a deep, steadying breath and placed the cap back onto the bottle. “Tell me about Nadia.”

Kim sighed. She knew her brother didn’t want to talk about her betrayal any longer and Lee was glad that when she spoke next she had listened. “I was to look into Lepedia because the Dragon was interested in her son.”

Lee blinked in confusion and tried to remember what he’d read about Nadia in her case file. She and her husband had two daughters, both still in California and both working simple jobs as a preschool teacher and a librarian while married with children and now grandchildren. During the course of Detective Lang’s initial investigation he couldn’t find anything suspicious in either of their lives that would indicate involvement in their mother’s murder.

“You said son. She doesn’t have a son,” Lee said. “She has grandsons and sons-in-law-”

“No. Son. His name was Andrei Ianov. Nadia apparently gave birth to him when she was only sixteen.”

The news threw Lee. “Did anyone know? She must have already been practicing ballet since she was a child to be able to perform with a theater of that caliber.”

“I don’t know. Abortion was illegal in the country at the time. There were, of course, ways it could still happen, but for some reason she chose not to have one. I’ve seen pictures of her when she was that age, she was very skinny and maybe hid it or had help from people in the company. All I know is she gave birth to a boy and then immediately gave him up. No information about the father. The general practice was to work with local missionaries or convents who took in unwanted children, so chances are he ended up in an orphanage.”

Lee shook his head. “But what would the Dragon want with a Russian orphan from seventy years ago?

“They kept me mostly in the dark with this one, so I wasn’t entirely sure. My directions were to investigate Nadia and see if she had any recent contact with him. I followed her for a while, broke into her home to check on her computer and phone lines. When nothing turned up I was then ordered to interrogate her. I wasn’t going to hurt her, but I needed answers. The night she was killed I followed her to UCLA, though I wasn’t sure why she was going there in the first place. Even though she was old she was still very active. She told her daughter she was heading over to her other daughter’s house for the night to help with the grandkids because their father was away in Hawaii for business.”

Everything Kim had said so far lined up with what was written in Lang’s report.

“I intercepted her and at first I pretended I was a performance arts student and asked her about her time working for Bolshoi. But she saw through my act better than I expected. She kept looking at her watch like she was running late for something. Finally, I started asking her questions about her son. And that made her scared Lee.”

“Scared? Like how?”

“Scared like saying his name would invoke a demon. She went all white and started screaming at me to leave her alone, then ran inside the theater. Some people heard her yelling and one of them started heading towards me. I didn’t want to create a scene so I went inside the theater to try and calm her down, but in those few moments she had disappeared. I couldn’t find her anywhere, but I didn’t have a lot of time to look.”

“Right. The witness called campus security and they didn’t find anything either.”

“Until the next day when Nadia turned up dead. After that I was assigned another job but when I reported what happened to the Dragon he was incredibly displeased. It seemed like Nadia was the only link to this man and, with her gone, that trail was now gone too.”

* * *

 

Lee walked back into the darkened house as quietly as he left. He placed the empty tumbler into the dishwasher and started slowly walking back to his bedroom, his mind swirling with his sister’s words in a sea of Baijiu.

He stopped short when he came up to the living room and saw Carter awake, half laying and half sitting up on the couch playing a game on his iPhone.

“Carter,” Lee breathed out quietly, not expecting to see his partner up.

When he heard his name, Carter looked up from his phone and then placed it on the coffee table before standing to walk over to Lee. He opened his mouth to say something before he noticed the bottle in Lee’s hand. He raised a surprised eyebrow at his partner then reached out and took the bottle from him.

“I don’t know what this is but it looks delicious,” Carter commented.

“Don’t tell Didi,” was all that Lee could answer back. When he first moved in with her she gave him a short and non-negotiable list of rules that she politely but firmly asked him to follow for the sake of her young and impressionable son. Next to absolutely no salacious one night stands and swearing in English or Chinese was a ban on excessive drinking. For group occasions they all shared a beer or homemade cocktail but in general she did not want him drinking in front of her son.

“It’s going to be hard enough keeping him from underage drinking when he’s a teen. Stats don’t look good for single moms. I don’t want to have to deal with these questions about it while he’s still a kid,” she had explained in that way hinted of serious repercussions if the rules weren’t followed. 

Chuckling, Carter handed the bottle back to Lee and said, “I won’t say a word. But I know Didi. She’ll find out sooner or later. I can guarantee that.”

Lee sighed and walked past Carter towards his bedroom. He placed the bottle back into his spot in his duffle bag before turning back to regard Carter who was leaning against the doorframe, watching him.

“How much did you hear?” Lee asked as he stood back up. He assumed Carter must have heard him having a conversation with his sister outside.

“Not much,” Carter answered with a shrug. “But enough to know it wouldn’t matter because you were talking in Chinese which means you were talking with your sister.”

“I could have been talking with anyone in my native language. Doesn’t mean it was her.” He wasn’t trying to be difficult but the recent conversation with his sibling had him all worked up inside. “I knew other people besides her back home.”

“I wasn’t, like, hovering in the kitchen during the entire conversation.” Carter said in a calm tone, which Lee knew it meant Carter could tell that he was upset. “You were pacing and you used the word _mei mei_ when I first saw you outside. So I just came back here to wait until you were done with her.”

Lee blinked in surprise. “You know what _mei mei_ means?”

“Sister? Yeah. But I would have thought you would have used _xaio mei_ for little sister. But would you not because she’s an adult now?”

Lee had to lock his legs in place to keep him from falling back into the bed in surprise. Hearing Carter not only speak but correctly understand even a little bit of Mandarin made a shot of lust burst threw him like a bullet. His mind immediately started playing out a scene with Carter whispering to him in Chinese during a not so work place friendly situation and he had to quickly shut that down before he needed a pillow on his lap.

“I-uh-no I don’t normally call her that anymore.” The thought tore at him as he realized the little sister he once knew was now gone and was replaced by a woman he thought he knew, but didn’t at all. Lee tried to get out his words in a voice that sounded normal.

Carter nodded. “Look, I’m not going to ask you what the two of you talked about because it’s four in the morning and it’s been a long enough day and night. We can talk about the case and all that later today. I just have one question for you.”

Lee folded his arms. “Alright.”

“Are you okay?”

It was such a simple question. It really shouldn’t have left Lee feeling like Carter had gently pried open his chest, pulled his damaged heart into his hands, and expect him not to fall apart in front of him.

Instead Lee grasped his arms a little tighter around him, swallowed and quietly tried to say yes but instead whispered, “No.”

Without saying a word Carter moved from his spot and pulled Lee into his arms for a fierce embrace. For a moment Lee habitually wanted to push Carter away; such physical acts of affection were so foreign to him they felt almost wrong and invasive. But instead he tentatively slid his arms around Carter and allowed the man to pull him in closer. This was no man hug with the safety barrier of a handshake between them. Their chests were pressed together and Lee was practically burying his face into Carter’s shoulder to keep his emotions at bay.

The scent and feel of Carter washed over him like a soothing balm on his exhausted soul. He wanted this. He wanted Carter so bad it tore at him. How could he have been so stupid as to develop romantic feelings for his male partner? Who he could never have? There was no denying it any longer, but even so he knew he could never act on it.

“You’re not alone, okay?” Carter said and Lee could only nod.        

They stayed like that for half a minute before Lee, with every fiber of his body fighting him, stepped away from Carter’s embrace. He took in a deep breath and folded his arms around himself again, and couldn’t look Carter in the eye when he whispered, “Thank you.”

By not looking at him, Lee missed the fond smile Carter gave him as he grasped his arm. “Come hang out with me. We’ll put on some Kung-Fu movie and you can tell me all the fighting stances that they’re doing wrong.”

Lee sniffed and glanced up at Carter. “Are you sure you do not want to put on a scary movie? You and Gerald always talk about how they are actually not scary at all.” He tried to lighten the mood as best he could.

Carter tsked at Lee’s joke before tugging him out towards the living room. “Boy, I swear to the good Lord above that I will smack you upside the head if you try putting on something that involves some creepy ass ghost chasing people. I swear it.”

“It was just a suggestion,” Lee said innocently as Carter practically shoved him onto the couch. He couldn’t hold back a small smile as he made a move to pick up the remote but Carter quickly grabbed it and shot Lee a dirty look. “Fool me twice. I don’t think so.”

Already feeling a little better with the help of their familiar banter, Lee pulled the blanket up off the floor and started to get comfortable on the couch. While flipping through the options on the TV Carter scooted closer to Lee and in one move grabbed his legs to place them over his lap. Gently he began to rub Lee’s leg like he had the previous day, and once again Lee found himself emotionally flushed with the sudden proximity of their closeness.

Feeling Lee staring at him, Carter turned to him. “This okay?” His voice was quiet, with a tinge of nervousness in it.

Slowly, Lee nodded. He couldn’t find his voice.

Carter smiled brightly and turned back to the TV. “Good. So, here we go. Drunken Master. A classic.”


	7. Chapter 7

The mid-afternoon sun was brighter than Carter anticipated as he walked out of the precinct. After he slid into his car he dropped a few files full of notes and confidential testimonies onto the passenger seat beside him, then pulled out his shades and popped them on before he retrieved his phone.

He pulled out of the parking lot and listened to the phone ring a few times before his partner answered.

“Please stop changing my ringtone to that Kung-Fu fighting song. It is very clichéd.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Carter said and was glad Lee couldn’t see his guilty smile. “Maybe Didi did it when you weren’t looking. Getting sloppy there Kung-Fu boy.” He stopped the car at a red light and imagined Lee rolling his eyes in exasperation at his lame excuse. “Anyways, where you at? Didi said you took off this morning before she left for work.” He wondered if Lee could hear other cars passing by him in the background, and would correctly assume he was in his SS Chenille.

Since Lee wasn’t allowed back at the precinct yet, he elected to do some independent research on the Bolshoi Theater while at the station Didi tucked into Gilly’s flash drive on UCLA’s separate investigation on Galina’s disappearance. Meanwhile, Carter decided to visit Detective Lang to inquire whether he had heard anything about Nadia’s illegitimate son that hadn’t made its way into the report when he was initially investigating her death.

Both he and Lee doubted it, but they needed to confirm that there was nothing missing before they re-interviewed Nadia’s family about this possible bombshell. Lee figured if they were going to broach Nadia’s involvement with the ballet company it would help to have some idea of what the company was about. And if Galina or Nadia appeared in any historical documents during their time there that might shed a new light onto their so far vague and suspicious past.

“I went for a run this morning to…clear my mind,” Lee answered quietly. “But now I’m at the Central Library to see if I can find any additional information about the women. This theater has a long and very complex history, but unfortunately they do not seem to focus very much on their individual dancers.” He paused and Carter could hear him closing a book. “How did it go with Detective Lang?”

“About what we suspected. That was the first he heard of Nadia’s son too. Didn’t like it much either when I told him our source was confidential.”

“I appreciate you keeping it that way,” Lee said. They both agreed that less the precinct knew of Lee’s sister’s undercover involvement with the Quantou the safer she was.

“Ah, he’ll get over it when we catch the killer,” Carter said confidently. “And luckily he doesn’t seem too eager to jump back onto the case considering our new leads. Said he was swamped.”

Yesterday, Lee had relayed to Carter how when he had first approached Deceive Lang, a looker on the younger side of middle age with dark brown hair and sharp blue eyes who’d been on the force for over a decade, about taking over Nadia Lepedia’s case, the man had practically shoved the file into his hands saying, “I’ve got a corpse in a bathtub in Hollywood, a man who’s been cashing in his missing girlfriend’s paychecks, and a twelve year old at his mom’s bedside in ICU begging me to find his son of a bitch father and put a bullet in him. I know it’s crass, but the killer of a ninety year old who lived a pretty good life isn’t at the top of my list right now. So please, have at it and just keep me in the loop in case Cole starts asking questions. By the way, where the hell you get that shiner?”

“I am not surprised,” Lee simply replied back to Carter.

“So. You hear back from your sister?” Carter asked after a moment’s hesitation.

As the previous night wore on, in bits and pieces Lee relayed to Carter what Kim had told him about her interaction with Nadia. Carter had a feeling Lee had left some things out, but he trusted his partner enough to know that he would at least be honest about anything involving the case. As much as Lee loved his sister, he wouldn’t condone holding back information that could hurt their chances of putting away Nadia’s killer.

He also explained that at the end of their phone call Kim had promised to ask some of her contacts to look into Nadia’s son. It was a long shot, but other than tracing back Lang’s steps of the investigation to the beginning or something new popping out of Gilly’s resources, neither were sure where to go next.

“Not yet. It might take some time though. Her mission right now is her first priority,” Lee said.

“I have a feeling helping her brother will be high on her list too.” Carter said encouragingly. His phone began to beep indicating an incoming call. “Let me hit you back in a minute. I think Gerald’s trying to get in touch with me.”

“Later,” Lee said and hung up.

Carter looked at his phone and didn’t recognize the number which made him again assume it was his cousin. The man had one cell phone with a private number, mostly because he loved app games, but he usually contacted people on burners for ‘business reasons’ or if he lost said personal cell.

Answering, Carter held the phone back up to his ear. “Hey-”

“Oh my God Detective Carter please, please you have to help me, please-”

“Hold on calm down,” Carter said as he tried to place the voice. “Gilly? Is that you?”

“Yes, please I’m trapped in a boot some crazy man kidnapped me and I have to get out-”

In all high stakes situations, the difference in its outcome is often decided on how one person handles that painful surge of panic that appears when a calm situation suddenly turns into a life or death precipice. One thing that Carter prided himself on was when that unexpected panic hits him like a bullet in his chest, he can brush it off with ease and focus on what needed to be done.

“Okay Gilly,” Carter said as he pulled over to the side of the road. “I’m going to help you. But first I need you to take in one deep breath, hold it for 3 seconds then let it out again. Because if we’re going to do this I need you calm and focused okay?”

“Y-yes,” she said though her voice trembled forcefully.

“You do that, and I’m going to do something really quick. But I’m going to be on the phone with you the whole time. I’m not going to leave you. Tell me if that is alright with you?”

She sucked in a sob and answered yes again.

“Okay,” Carter said as he exited the car and pulled out his badge. He walked over to a middle-aged woman sitting at an outdoor café showing a picture on her phone to another female and said, “Excuse me. Ma’am?”

The well-dressed blond looked up at Carter in surprise. He wasted no time in plucking the phone out of her hands with his free hand as he showed her his badge. “I’m an L.A.P.D. detective and I’m confiscating this phone for an emergency situation.” He turned and jogged back to his vehicle, ignoring her displeased protest. “I promise you will get it back!”

As he speeded off the curb Carter spoke into his phone while he dialed a number in the other device. “Gilly, you still with me girl?”

“Yes,” she answered. She sounded calmer, but not by much.

“Alright. First tell me, where were you abducted from? Your home? The university? Somewhere else?”

“Home. I live in an apartment in Missions Hill.”

Carter took a sharp left and started heading in that direction. “How long ago was that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe ten minutes since I got into the boot? I hid my phone in my bra when I heard the man break in and-and he bound my hands when I got into the car but I was able to get them to my front.”

“Okay your hands are still bound but they’re in front of you? Good job Gilly, that was really smart of you. Do you know who it was that took you?”

“No. I have no idea who this man is!”

He nodded. “Okay. What I need you to do now is see if you can find a trunk release. It might look like a handle or cord or button near the front of the trunk. I’m going to call the precinct to get some people on this to help us while you do that. Do you understand?”

“But you’ll stay on the line right?” Her voice trembled when she asked.

“Yes. Yes I’m not going to leave you okay?”   

 “Okay. I’ll try.”

Using his free hand he pressed send to access Didi’s direct line.

“Hey Carter,” his partner answered. “What’s-”

“Listen. Gilly’s been kidnapped. She just called me and she’s trapped in the trunk of a car right now.”

He could hear Didi’s chair roll over to her desk’s computer. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

“I’ve got her on the line trying to find a trunk release but if she can’t I’m gonna have her try the backup which means I need you to monitor any 911 calls that’ll hopefully come in. Also, see if you can ping her cell location off any towers that they may pass. He took her from her place in Missions Hill.” He read her number off his cell. “Once you hear something call Lee and have him meet me when he can. I don’t know anything about this guy who took her so it’d be better if I have some backup.”

“You got it,” Didi answered and then hung up.

“Hey, I’m back. How’s it looking?” Carter asked Gilly.

He could hear her breathing heavily as she tried to keep the panic at bay. After some fumbling she answered. “I can’t find it! I don’t see it anywhere!”

“Okay, Gilly. That’s fine. Not all cars on the road have them.”

“Then why the bloody hell did you have me look?” She practically shrieked.

“First, Gilly, I need you to keep your voice down,” Carter calmly said. “We’re trying to not let your kidnapper know you’re talking to me, okay? And second that’s the reason why I had you look in the first place because the next thing I’m going to have you do is going to be a bit loud and if he hears you then we’re in trouble.”

She let out a little sob and Carter quickly continued. “As quietly as you can look for the edge of the panel covering one of the break lights. All we need to get to is just one. Pull back on the panel and let me know when you see the exposed wires behind the light.” The other phone beside him began to ring. “Gilly my partner’s calling me. I’ll be right back. You work on that.”

“Okay,” she answered with a grunt.

“Tell me you got some good news,” Carter said.

“Got her cell off a tower in Panorama City.”

He swore. “I’m still like ten minutes out.” He took another sharp left turn, running a red light. After the honking died down he asked, “You got any idea where they’re heading?”

She paused and he could hear her mouse clicking. “Not exactly. Just more residential areas are coming up that way.” She swore. “Damnit. I lost the signal.”

“Could be a safe house somewhere.” He didn’t say it out loud but they both had an idea about what that meant. “She’s working on getting the break light out. Call me if you get an update.” He hung up.

“Carter! I’ve got it!” He heard Gilly suddenly exclaim.

“Good! Good.” Carter shifted the phone onto his shoulder when he heard a beep from the other phone. It was a text: _Got in touch with Lee. He’s on his way_.

“Okay. What next?” Gilly asked.

“Start ripping out all the wires you see. All of them.”

“Just pull them right out?”

“Yep. Get’em all.”

The sounds of Gilly shifting and then grunting as she began ripping out the wires filled his ear for a couple minutes. He hoped he was gaining ground as he continued receiving texts from Didi on where he might need to go.

“Alright! I’ve got them all out!” Gilly panted excitedly.

“What you’re looking at is the break light of the car. I want you to start kicking at it to push it out of its socket. We need that thing gone so just wale on it.”

“Wale?” Gilly asked.

“Yeah. Just go to town. Use as much force as you can. We need to get that light out so we can find out where you are.” He got another text from Didi: _Picked up the signal again briefly. You’re heading in the right direction._

“Just be as quiet as you can about it. We don’t want this guy to know what you’re doing.”

“Right,” she said before he began to hear thuds coming from her end. Agonizingly, Carter waited and prayed that the car she was in wouldn’t stop. After what felt like a lifetime he heard a loud crunching sound followed by her surprised gasp.

“It worked!” She nearly screamed.

“Okay. Gilly look outside. Do you see anything you recognize?”

More shifting then, “Just houses.”

“Any street names?”

“Uh…” she paused. “Centennial Way?”

“Good enough. Now place your hand outside the hole and just wave. Don’t scream for help or anything like that, again we don’t want him to hear you. But don’t stop waving until you see police cars behind you. Got it?”

“Yes,” she sobbed, relief that she might survive this evident in her voice.

It didn’t take long before the other phone rang. “Got that 911 call,” Didi said. “She’s in a black Lincoln Continental.” She read off the license plate’s letters and numbers. “The guy who called said he’d follow the car. I’m getting directions from him now.”

“Let’s do this,” Carter said and was excited to hear that he was only a few blocks away. He sped up even faster.

Almost three minutes later Didi exclaimed, “The guy says he sees your car. You see him?”

Carter nodded when he saw the light blue Honda Civic in front of him; the driver with a cell phone to his ear.

“Got it. Tell him to back off. I’ll take over now.”

“Backup is still five minutes out, Carter,” Didi warned.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” He tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and waited until the Honda Civic took its next left before he spoke to Gilly. “Alright Gilly I’ve got you in my sights. Pull your arm back inside and brace yourself.”

“What?” Gilly exclaimed. “Why?”

“Cause this asshole isn’t going another mile with you trapped in that trunk. Do you trust me?”

“You’ve got my back this far, Carter,” Gilly answered warily.

He slid the phone off his shoulder and tossed it next to the borrowed phone and placed both hands casually on the wheel. He had turned off his siren and lights on his car a while ago so he wouldn’t tip his hand. The last thing he wanted was a car chase with Gilly trapped in the middle of it.

As he got closer to the Lincoln he waited to see if the driver did anything different. He didn’t speed up or slow down or try and take any sharp, jerky turns. Instead he plodded along at a safe, comfortable speed and distance.

“So you got a cool head then huh buddy? No rushing around corners or blasting past red lights,” Carter muttered to himself. “Not sweating the fact you just kidnapped some chick. Something tells me this isn’t your first turn around the naughty block.”

Carter inched closer to the black Lincoln and when the left lane was clear he slammed on the gas pedal and surged forward then around the car. When he got up to the driver’s side window he turned to see who was behind the wheel.

A possibly middle aged white man wearing a Laker’s hat and heavy dark sunglasses stared straight ahead, ignoring Carter’s obnoxious actions. He even slowed down to let Carter pass.

“Eh yo! Thanks brother!” Carter called out obnoxiously and gave him an innocent wave as he shot forward again to get in front of the driver, then sped up a bit.

Glancing back at the kidnapper through his rearview Carter waited a couple beats to make sure the man hadn’t become suspicious and, to be safe, take a side street. Carter tightened his seat belt, patted the steering wheel of his car and said in an almost pleading voice, “Please understand baby. I don’t have a choice I got to do this. Please forgive me.”

He took in a deep breath, braced himself, then with both feet he slammed on the breaks.

The guy never saw it coming. The driver slammed into the back of Carter’s car demolishing every inch of it with a panful crunch that vibrated through Carter’s entire body.

Stunned and hurting more than a little bit, Carter allowed himself half a moment to shake himself back to reality before he shot out of his car, his gun already drawn and pointing directly at the Lincoln.

The driver’s side door was open; the driver was gone.

Carter quickly looked around, trying to ignore the crowd of other drivers who had stopped to help with the accident. He didn’t see the kidnapper, but he didn’t have time to look for long. The crying pleas and loud banging coming from inside the trunk instantly brought him back to what was most important: helping Gilly.

Holstering his gun he dove into the driver’s seat and quickly flipped the hatch to unlock the trunk. Before he crawled back out he noticed a hand-held GPS blinking on the dashboard. He grabbed it and shoved it into his pocket then exited the car. He ran back to fling the trunk door open and was greeted by a sobbing, shivering Gilly who looked at him though squinting wet eyes as they were assaulted by the bright L.A. sun.

“Carter,” she gasped in relief.

Gently, Carter reached inside and wrapped his arms around her. He lifted her out of the trunk with great care then sat her down on the gravel so she could rest her shaking body against the rear bumper.

“An ambulance is on its way but can you tell me if anything hurts or if anything is injured?” As he spoke he looked her over and saw an array of bruises and small cuts around her face and arms, but nothing seemed broken or life threatening.

“He roughed me up a bit but right now all I want is to get these sodding things off.” She held up her trembling wrists trapped together by white zip-ties.

“Well, that I can help you with at least,” Carter answered with a reassuring smile and reached into his back pocket to produce a Swiss army knife he always kept for emergencies.

He was about to pull it out when the loud pinging of gunshots echoed as they hit the cement and car, exploding inches from where Gilly and Carter sat.

Gilly screamed as Carter grabbed her and dragged her to the other side of the car for cover before bringing his gun back out. He turned to the crowd that had quickly dispersed once the shots began firing and scanned through the scene to make sure no one besides himself and Gilly were in immediate danger.

“He’s back,” Gilly sobbed from beside him. “Oh my God. He’s back. He’s come back to kill me-”

“Gilly,” Carter said in a loud and calm voice. “No one is getting near you while I’m here. As long as you do as I say, we’ll get through this.” He tilted his head to her to give her his most charming smile. “Got your back so far in this, huh?”

She gave him a quick, disbelieving, tear stained half-laugh which quickly turned into a shriek as more gunshots peppered the other side of the car.

“Stay down,” Carter said when the bullets stopped. Taking a chance he inched closer to the edge of the car to see if he could get a look at the shooter. He was no Einstein but he could hazard a guess it was the kidnapper.

As soon as he tried to move a millimeter the shooter attacked, barraging him with an array of bullets that rained down around them.

“Where the hell is that backup?” Carter hissed to himself. He went to his pocket to grab his phone and call Didi to let her know what was going on, but then remembered he left it in his now demolished car and Gilly’s phone was still in the trunk.

He swore and mentally reminded himself of how many bullets he had in his gun. Not many for his Beretta compared to whatever arsenal the kidnapper was carrying. Taking in a deep breath he stood and began shooting towards where the attack was coming from.

He caught the barest glance of the kidnapper before he quickly ducked behind an abandoned car. Carter swore to himself; he hadn’t even scratched the guy. Though the hat and glasses masked his face, he seemed like an older male, dressed in dark black jeans and a zipped up brown leather jacket. His gun was an MP5 submachine and the man seemed to know exactly how to use it without any hesitation.

Like he assumed. A professional.

The man suddenly popped back up and drew his gun again, taking aim straight for Carter. He tried to duck, but ricochet bullet nicked his leg, causing him to cry out in pain and crouch back down again. He sucked in a breath as he inspected the wound. It wasn’t deep but it still bled heavily enough. He pushed the pain aside then turned to Gilly who was shivering and had ducked her head between her knees. She looked on the verge of hyperventilating.

“Gilly,” Carter said and waited for her to look at him. “We’re pinned down. I’m not going to get a shot at him from here.” He opened his gun to double check how many bullets he had left. “I’m going to try and divert his attention and when I do I want you to make a run for it.” He pointed to a space between two houses across from them that led to their backyards. “I want you to stay low but run as fast as you can that way and don’t stop until you reach someplace safe where there’s a phone. You call Prescient 7 and ask for Detective Didi Diaz. Gerald’s probably told you about her. She’ll help you.” He looked back to make sure the attacker hadn’t tried to move in closer. “You got it?”

“But what about-” Gilly began but Carter cut her off. “You said you’d as I say. This is what I’m saying. Do you got it?”

She nodded and sucked in a scared breath. “O-okay.”

He reached into his pocket and held out the small black GPS. “Get this to either Detective Diaz or Detective Lee. It’s really important that they get it.”

She nodded and grasped the device tight.

“On the count of three,” Carter said and took in his own deep breath. “One…two…”

Once again Carter stood and began shooting, knowing his bullet supply was severely limited. This time he darted away from the car, heading over to a row of other cars left behind by their frightened owners. The kidnapper tried to take advantage of his sudden exposed position but Carter, using one of his last bullets, got in a lucky shot off his assailant’s shoulder. The man paused his shooting, surprised, but seemed to quickly shake his wound off like it was nothing and lifted his gun to take aim at Carter once again.

Unfortunately for the kidnapper, he did not expect a newcomer to suddenly take a flying leap off the car he’d previously used as cover to wrap their legs around his neck and topple them both to the ground.

“Lee!” Carter exclaimed and lowered his gun. How his partner found him he hadn’t a clue, but damn was he glad to see him.

Lee quickly recovered from the fall. While flat on his back he used his arms to do a kick up, standing back up in one graceful move. Unfortunately, the other man used Lee’s stance against him to kick at his foot and try to take him down.

Anticipating this counter attack Lee jumped up then shot out an arm to wrap around the man’s neck and pulled him into a chokehold. But he easily twisted out of it after elbowing Lee in the gut, then rolled himself a couple steps back to face Lee, ready to square off.  

During the beginning of the scuffle Carter had dashed towards the two in an attempt to get the kidnappers gun that had skidded away when Lee first attacked. The sudden movement was too much for him though and he quickly stumbled when the pain in his leg flared back to life. Unfortunately, those precious few seconds cost him.

The man saw Carter heading towards them out of the corner of his eye and, knowing he was outnumbered, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small circular object before he turned towards Carter. He said something to Lee, but Carter was too far away to hear what is was.

Lee, being closer, knew immediately what was in his hand and quickly yelled out, “Carter! Run!”

Not bothering to take a chance and hesitate, Carter dashed inside the backseat of a nearby van where the backdoor was left open. Barely a moment later a deafening explosion rocked the underside of the vehicle. Carter felt himself being lifted up and over in the air until falling back to the ground again with a loud and painful thud that crunched on impact.

Carter wasn’t sure if he blacked out or not, but it felt like hours later when he a loud ringing in his ears alerted him that he was at least still alive. Black smoke quickly filled his lungs with every painful breath, and he could see flames licking the outside of the upturned car though a blurred and watery lens.

Warning bells of danger clanged heatedly in the back of his mind and while he knew he should try to escape, he couldn’t quite get that message to his limbs. As he fought against falling into unconsciousness, he realized that Lee was now alone against the kidnapper, and there was nothing he could do to help him.


	8. Chapter 8

“I have no fight against you.”

The man Lee had fought against panted as he spoke. His voice held a trace of an Eastern European accent, but Lee hadn’t a moment to consider that new fact when he reached into his pocket to take out a hand grenade, and then turn to Carter.

“Carter! Run!” Fear gripped Lee’s heart. Anticipating what he intended to do with the explosive, Lee yelled a warning to his partner before he lunged forward to tackle the assailant to the ground. He knew he was too far away to stop him from throwing it, but when he connected with the man’s body he hit his arm hard enough that he could skew the trajectory of his throw to instead land next to the vehicle Carter had dove into, not inside or under it which would most likely kill him instantly.

Yet, the damage was still done. The man shoved Lee off his body and immediately took off running in the opposite direction; leaving Lee to watch in horror as the mini-van holding his the man who held his own heart vault violently sideways, landing upside down on the ground with a sickening thud while a blaze of dragon red fire quickly began to spread along the undercarriage.

Another explosion, this one unexpected, echoed from a few cars down. When Lee pulled his curled up arm away from his face he saw another vehicle on fire. When he thought it safe to look he realized the assailant had thrown a grenade inside a black Lincoln Continental, the type of car Didi had told him Gilly had been trapped in.

But that wasn’t important now. Shock had left him immobile for a moment, but it didn’t take long before a bullet of fear forced him into action. “Carter!” He screamed once he shook off his jarred disbelief and scrambled to stand and race towards the wreck. When he reached the van he hit a wave of heat and pluming black smoke. Glass crunched under his shoes as he slid around the smoldering vehicle, desperately looking for his partner.  

As the fire grew, Lee crawled onto his stomach and shuffled through the front passenger window where the least amount of smoke was tumbling out. Towards the back of the car he saw a semi-conscious Carter lying face down, groaning and attempting to shake himself awake, unaware of how close the fire was to completing its consumption.

Lee breathed out Carter’s name before he dragged himself forward, ignoring how the glass cut into his hands and legs as he moved closer. Though he was barely a few feet away, his body felt like it had traversed miles before he could reach out a hand and grasp Carter’s shoulder.

“Carter!” He yelled as he shook the disoriented man to get his attention. “Carter, move we have got to get out of here!”

Carter coughed and moaned, his hands curling into fists as he tried to force himself to move while still unable to understand what was happening around him. “Lee…?” He groaned as his eyes cracked open an inch. Lee could see the pain and confusion in them.

“Stay with me,” Lee gasped out even as more smoke went up his nose and mouth. He began dragging Carter back towards the broken window he had crawled through. “You can do it,” he tried to encourage his partner. “It’s not far.”

Both men fought against their aches and increasing fear until Lee felt his feet touch the gravel outside the window. Scrambling to finally free them from the wreckage, he slid his arms to hook under Carter’s and using all the strength he had left he dragged the man out of the shattered window until he reached a safe distance.

He laid Carter onto the ground and ran his eyes and hands over him to inspect for injuries. Immediately his eyes landed on the bleeding wound on his leg, but the array of lacerations and cuts that peppered his body were uncountable.

Carter turned his head to the side and coughed heavily before opening his eyes once more. They narrowed in confusion as he raised a hand and weakly grasped Lee’s jacket. “Lee…” he began, his voice sounding painfully scorched.

“Don’t speak,” Lee begged. He fumbled in his pocket for his phone to find out why there wasn’t any backup at the scene yet. Carter needed medical attention immediately and it was deserted besides the two of them and the smoldering cars.

“Lee,” Carter tried again. “Are you alright?”

Lee paused to take in the concerned look on his friend’s face before he let out a half sob in disbelief at Carter’s miserable condition. As the adrenaline from rescuing Carter surged out of his body, a heavy ache of guilt engulfed him whole.

That was Carter’s only concern: him. Not about his own condition, or if the bad guy got away. His only thought while being bruised and broken was to make sure that Lee wasn’t the same.

Unable to stop himself Lee grasped Carter’s hand grabbing his jacket and pressed their joined hands firmly against his heart. Then, using his free hand he caressed the side of Carter’s bloody face before leaning down to place a gentle kiss along Carter’s forehead.

“I am fine,” Lee whispered when he pulled back. He swallowed hard as his throat burned from the smoke coating it as thick as fear. “Now that you are safe.”

But Carter wasn’t out of the woods yet. His glazed eyes and slurred words confirmed at least a concussion, and Lee hadn’t a clue if anything internal was as damaged as Carter’s leg. He had to tamper down a surge of despair that bordered on panic at the thought that the man who meant everything to him could die in his arms at any moment.

With what little strength Carter had he squeezed their entwined hands and gave Lee such a look of longing and hope he didn’t know what to think. Though it looked painful to do so, Carter lifted his free hand and grasped Lee’s other hand holding his face to link their fingers together.

Their eyes locked, and the world full of billowing smoke and fire quietly fell away. In that moment the two were only focused on each other. A thousand unsaid words of longing and desire passed between them in a silent exchange existing only in their eyes.

Hope, before an impossible concept not worth even a moment’s consideration, suddenly sprouted through the cracks in their hearts like a trampled bud fighting against crumbled pavement.     

The unexpected sound of screeching tires caused Lee to jerk his head up; the moment broken. A mini-van speed down the street, sliding to halt in front of them. Not knowing who was inside, Lee quickly upholstered Carter’s gun and stood, ready to defend his partner in case their assailant had returned to finish his job.

The door to the van opened and Gilly popped her head out, her eyes wide at the scene of destruction around them. She stepped down and Lee could see her hands were still bound together with zip ties that left angry red marks around her wrists.

“Gilly?” Lee asked, confused as he lowered his gun. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard the explosion. I had to come back to make sure Carter was okay.” She looked down at the injured man. “What _happened_?”

Lee placed the safety back on the firearm and shook his head. “He’s hurt. We need to get him help right now.”

“Where are all the cops? And the ambulances?” She asked as she watched Lee tuck the gun into the back of his pants before bending down to pull Carter into his arms. “He spoke with your friend. He said they were on their way.”

“I do not know,” Lee answered as he lifted the semi-conscious man. “Can you drive with your hands like that? I don’t have anything to cut them off.”

“Not the best I can do, but I got here alive didn’t I?” She opened the side door to the van and helped cradle Carter’s head as Lee gently placed him in the backseat.

“We need to get to the closest hospital,” Lee instructed Gilly as they both climbed into the vehicle. Lee could see people slowly begin to exit their homes and knew that whatever was keeping the backup from arriving, it wouldn’t last for too long. This place would be swarming with emergency personnel soon, but Carter couldn’t wait.

Placing a hand firmly on Carter’s chest to feel his heartbeat, Lee used that ground himself before his rising panic could swallow him whole. With his free hand he pulled out his cell phone and saw that it had five missed calls from Didi. He immediately hit the call back button.

“Lee, thank God,” Didi answered. “Are you alright? Did you find Gilly? Or Carter?”

“Yes. I found them. But Carter is hurt. We’re heading to-” he paused when he realized he had no idea where the closest hospital was.

But Gilly filled him in. “Providence Holy Cross! Ten minutes out.”

Lee repeated the name of the hospital. “ETA ten minutes maybe. We’re trying for less. Call them and make sure they’re ready for his arrival. He’s semi-conscious with a GSW to the leg, multiple lacerations and possible internal bleeding. They’ll need to check for burns, smoke inhalation, and a concussion. At least.”

Didi swore but her voice was even as she answered, “On it.” And then hung up. Lee knew she would be desperate for answers to what had happened but would handle what was important first. He had his own questions that he wanted answered as well but both would have to wait. 

Instead Lee, who was crouched down behind the passenger seat so he could hold onto Carter and keep him stable as the van rocked and bumped from Gilly’s shaky driving, watched miserably as Carter coughed and grasped for much needed air

Lee turned to Gilly and said, “Don’t stop for anything. Run the lights and the stop signs. I don’t know how hurt he is and he might not have much time.”

“Right,” Gilly answered and Lee could feel the car go faster as she pressed down on the gas pedal.

Lee looked down at his fallen friend and watched as he coughed out painfully and failed to work his fingers.

Lee stilled Carter’s hand trembling with deep cuts and bruises. “I’ve got you,” he whispered and looked back into Carter’s half-lidded, pain filled eyes. Taking Carter’s hand in his, he squeezed it gently, trying to encourage his friend that he would be alright. 

A sharp turn caused the van to jostle to the side. “Sorry!” Gilly called out as Carter cried out in pain.

“Easy,” Lee said to Carter as he grasped his jacket to keep him on the seat. Carter took in deep, shuddering breaths and wrapped an arm around his injured side. After the pain settled he pried his eyes open and looked at his partner. Lee could see the misery and fear there, but a shroud of determination had suddenly overshadowed those emotions.

“Lee,” Carter began, the word spoken through gritted teeth. “I don’t know how much time I have-”

“Stop,” Lee demanded as he swallowed down the fear clawing its way up his throat. “You’re going to be fine.”

“There’s so much I’ve wanted to say to you,” Carter tried in slow, broken half words, but Lee could see his energy was fading fast. The hand Lee was holding grew heavy and Carter was forcefully trying to keep his eyes open as his breathing continued to become too deep, too labored.

“Stop,” Lee begged. “Please, stop. Save it for when you wake up in the hospital. You can talk for hours if you want.” He gave Carter an unsteady smile. “You do that anyway.” Unable to stop himself he brought the hand to his lips and brushed them gently along Carter’s scarred knuckles, threading their fingers together tightly. He kept his eyes on Carters’ and watched as his friend gasped quietly at the movement, his eyes filling with sadness.

“We’re almost there!” Gilly yelled, breaking the moment between them. Lee looked up and out of the window at the buildings and towers they passed.

When he looked back down his heart nearly stopped. Carter’s eyes were closed and his hand had gone limp between Lee’s palms.

“No,” Lee gasped. “No. No, Carter no. Wake up.” He grasped Carter’s shirt and nearly launched himself towards his neck to check for a pulse and to make sure he was breathing.

He was barely able to confirm that Carter was still alive before he realized Gilly had stopped the car and the door behind him slid open.

“Move!” A voice yelled. A strong hand grabbed his shoulder and with a sharp pull dragged him out of the van. 

His arms were already rising up to fight off the sudden intrusion but as the bodies beside him dashed forward he recognized their medical scrubs and uniforms and realized he was at the hospital. The hand jerked him back again and out of the way as a gurney was brought forward for the medical professionals to gently carry Carter out of the van.

Gilly suddenly appeared at his side and brought her bound hands up to her lips to hold back a sob as their unconscious and bloody friend was brought before them. Lee clenched his fists at his side, desperate to hold back the rage growing at the man who had hurt his partner. Within moments, Carter was quickly wheeled inside the large building, and it took everything in Lee to not follow. There was nothing he could do for his friend now. Nothing but continue the investigation and find out what the hell was going on that led them here.

Lee grabbed a remaining EMT and pointed to Gilly. “Take her inside. Get her looked over. And make sure both she and the man we just brought in has twenty-four hour security. You call Precinct Seven and speak with Captain Lindsay Cole if there is any trouble.”    

Gilly mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Lee before the EMT gently grasped her arm and led her inside.

Suddenly alone in the parking lot of the hospital, Lee could hear the cars rushing by him and the sun was bright enough to make him squint in pain. He wanted to follow the two inside but the adrenaline from helping Carter left his body in a giant wave. He staggered against the vehicle, his legs suddenly dead weight. He saw heavily inside the open van, taking in deep breaths to calm the shuddering in his chest. He reached a hand up to run it through his hair and was shocked to see that his fingers were trembling, dark with Carter’s blood.

He’d been through all this before. He’d seen Carter injured before. Had waited for ambulances to arrive and take him away to the hospital. Internally, he told himself that Carter was okay then, and would be okay now.

But things were different now. He couldn’t deny it. His feelings were different. Things between him and Carter were different. And seeing Carter hurt like this tore him apart worse than ever before.

He was so lost in his thoughts he barely saw a dark form rush towards him before he heard his name being yelled out.

Two thin but firm arms wrapped around his neck and his senses were suddenly overwhelmed with the comforting, familiar floral scent of jasmine along with the gentle caress of hair against his cheek softened by a blend of oils from Caudalie.

“Didi,” Lee breathed out and embraced her back. She pulled away from him and sat down beside him in the van. She kept a tight arm around his shoulders for support but her eyes bore a warning of her incoming interrogation.

“Lee,” she said breathlessly, “what the hell happened?”

Lee turned to her. He’d been in the library when she called to say that Carter, who he had only spoken with minutes ago, was currently tracking Gilly who’d been kidnapped. While contacting Carter she simultaneously kept up a texting communication with him after he had immediately jumped into the back of a cab that took him to the location she gave him to meet up with his partner.

Ever since he met her, Lee had always had a great respect for Didi. Her ability to multitask in a high pressure situation was only matched by her strength, intelligence and empathy.

And now that she had once again demonstrated her qualities as a cop to help save Gilly, Carter and himself, answers was what he now needed from her. Compassion, and answers.

“I fought the kidnapper, but he attacked Carter as a diversion to get away.” He relayed what had transpired after the explosion and Didi let out a relieved breath when Lee pointed towards the hospital and said that Gilly was safe inside.

“What you said matches up from the units down at the scene when I was on my way here,” Didi explained. “They said it looked like a war-zone.”

“I do not understand. Why did the emergency personnel take so long to arrive? They should have been there even before I showed up.”

Didi shook her head. “I think we’ve got someone working on the inside against us. You knew where to go because I told you directly. But when I gave the address to dispatch to send out backup, the information was intercepted and then changed to a location across town. Which is where they went.” She stood and crossed her arms as she paced back and forth in front of Lee. “This doesn’t make any sense, Lee. How does a cold case from the forties and one from three months ago suddenly now lead to a kidnapping and an attempted murder? What’s so damn important about these two people?”

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s important to the kidnapper,” Lee said.

“I want to see Carter. Before we go I want to make sure he’s okay.” Didi turned to Lee and wrapped her arms around herself.

Lee nodded. There was no way he would continue this investigation until he knew there was a chance Carter would survive. If they needed to stay he would contact Detective Lang with his findings and hand the case back over to him. It suddenly dawned on Lee that he had finally found someone in his life, besides his sister, who he cared more about than the case he was working on. He wasn’t sure what to think of that, but then he remembered how he had held Carter’s hand in the car, brushing his lips against his partner’s trembling fingers, and he knew there was no going back for him.

When he stood Didi wrapped her hands around his arm, as much to comfort him as it was for her, and they began to walk inside. It didn’t take long before they found the floor Carter was on, but unfortunately that floor was the Intensive Care Unit.

“The doctors are with him now,” the nurse explained after Didi put away her badge. “But his condition is still tenuous. We should know more soon but for now you’ll just have to wait.”

Didi sighed in frustration and Lee silently mirrored her sentiment. “What about the woman who was brought in with him? Gillian Walsh?”

“She’s getting checked over. I’ll get you her room number.”

The two soon entered Gilly’s hospital room, nodding in greeting at the cops stationed outside her door. Gilly sat up when she saw Lee and Didi walk in. One nurse was checking her vitals while another wrapped up her now unrestrained wrists.

“Is Carter alright?” She immediately asked.

“You know about as much as we do,” Didi said as she walked towards Gilly. “But we’re so glad that you’re alright.”

“Thanks to Detective Carter,” Gilly said breathlessly. “I haven’t got a clue what that header wanted with me or why he tossed me in his boot if that’s why you’re here. All I can tell you is what happened on my end.”

“If you’re up for it,” Didi said. Lee pulled a guest chair from the other end of the room for Didi to sit in before grabbing one for himself.

“If it’ll help you catch the bastard,” Gilly answered. “I was in my flat getting ready to meet up with a mate of mine from the University for a bevvie. While I was doing that, I had my phone on speaker cause I was chatting up with my sister back in Ireland. She was giving out to her husband something fierce over his gambling problem flaring up again-” she paused and shook her head. “Not important. Didn’t mean to stray.”

“That’s alright,” Lee said and hopped Didi was following her story better than he was. “Please continue.”

“While I was doing that I heard knocking outside the flat. I wasn’t expecting anyone and my landlord only communicates with me over the phone. I just ignored it, thinking it was someone at the wrong door. Then the banging started and before I knew it the front door was kicked in. I wasn’t in a room with a fire escape so my only other option was to stash my phone.”

“Stash?” Lee asked.

“Yes.” Gilly lifted a hand and tugged at the collar of her dress. “Tucked it right into my bra. Made sure to turn off the sound so it wouldn’t ring.”

“And he didn’t check there?” Didi asked.

Gilly shook her head. “No. Just pointed a gun at me and then tied me up.” She looked down at her bandaged arms and let out a shuddering sigh. All three silently acknowledged how differently her situation could have turned out for her had she not been able to hide her phone.

“He started tearing the place to pieces. Broke everything. It seemed like he was looking for something, but he never asked me what it was. Never said a word. I was so mad.”

“I saw your abductor. He wore a cap and sunglasses. Was he wearing those when he first confronted you?” Lee asked.

She nodded. “Yes. I didn’t get a good look at his face. But at one point he was turned away from me and he took off his cap to wipe his forehead and I could see dark hair.”    

“Can you think of anything else unusual or out of the ordinary that you can think of that might help us?” Didi said.

Gilly turned to Lee. “Did you get a look at the gatch on him?”

Lee turned to Didi for clarification and was relieved when she looked confused as well.

“I-what?” Lee asked.

“Sorry. He had a funny way of walking. Bit like a limp I think.”

Lee frowned at that. The man he fought with was in excellent shape and had no trouble keeping up with him in combat. He’d sparred against men and women with injuries before and despite their best efforts a weakness like a walking limp could still be noticed to a trained fighter.

“I did not. But thank you for that information,” Lee said.

Didi turned back to Gilly. “What happened after he searched your apartment?”

“Dragged me out to the back emergency stairwell that led to the basement then into the alleyway where his wretched car was parked.” She sighed. “After he took off I called Detective Carter straight away. He found me and got me out but it wasn’t long before the man came after us again.” Her eyes welled up with tears and she picked nervously at the white cotton wrapped around her wrist. “He kept shooting at us. I think Carter knew we both weren’t going to get out.”

She sniffed as tears began falling down her cheeks. “Told me to make a run for it. I didn’t want to leave him but-” she stopped when her voice cracked.

“You did the right thing,” Didi said and stood to sit by Gilly. She wrapped an arm around the woman and gently ran her hand up and down her shoulder. “Carter’s job was to protect you and the only way he could do that is if you listened to what he said to do.”

“He might die because of it though,” Gilly whispered.

Lee had to stand and turn around when she spoke those words. His stomach churned at the possibility and he placed his hands on his hips to keep them from punching out the wall in fear and frustration.

“The doctors will take good care of him,” Didi tried comfortingly, but Lee could hear the fear in her words. He knew Gilly wasn’t trying to purposely scare them, that she wasn’t sure of how close they all were to each other, but Lee needed to move on from this conversation or else it would drive him insane.

“Can you think of anything else that might help us identify your attacker?” Lee said. “We are right now assuming it has to do with the case we’re working on, but we need to rule out any personal implications that your abduction could have been someone close to you?”

Gilly shook her head. “No. I haven’t got any crazy ex’s or stalkers. If you’re thinking that kind of thing.” Her eyes widened and she reached over to her jacket laying on the bed beside her. “But, Carter told me to give this to you guys. I think this might help.” She reached into her jacket pocket to pull a small black box and handed it to Lee.

“Is that a GPS?” Didi asked.

Gilly nodded. “Carter had it. I think he grabbed it from the kidnapper’s car before coming to get me.”

 _Before the man blew it up_. Lee didn’t say it out loud, but he hoped wherever the man was taking Gilly was also his base of operations. That meant they had a chance of finding him.

Didi looked up at Lee as he turned on the device before turning back to Gilly. “Thank you for giving this to us.” She slid off the bed and stood. “We’ll let you know what happens, but right now we have a security detail on you until things get straightened out. If you need to leave the hospital don’t go home. Do you have any friends or family you can stay with?”

Gilly sniffed then gave Didi a small grin. “I might take Gerald up on an offer to crash with him for a while.”

Didi nodded, not knowing about Gilly’s interest in their friend. She reached into her jacket pocket and produced a card. “Please call me anytime if you remember or hear of anything that you think might be useful to us. No matter how insignificant you might think it is.”

Gilly sadly took the card and said, “Carter says that line the exact same way. You used to be partners, didn’t you?”

Didi’s shoulders slumped a fraction. “We still are. A little differently than he and Lee, but I’ll always have his back.”

Gilly nodded and tucked the card into her jacket pocket before the detectives left the room.

* * *

 

The sun was still high as Didi and Lee reluctantly exited the hospital doors. They had previously stopped by the nurses’ office again and were told it might be a few hours before they had any news about Carter. They both considered waiting, but the GPS had given them an unexpected lead with a small window of time to make good use of it. If they waited too long, the perp could vanish along with whatever clues might be available at the location.

As much as they wanted to be there at the hospital for Carter, they knew there was nothing more they could do than possibly taking the chance of avenging their injured friend and partner.  

Didi let out a breath as she hung up her cell phone and headed for her car. “Gerald’s on his way. He’ll keep an extra eye on Gilly and let us know as soon as Carter is out of the OR.”

Lee nodded, distracted by the thought of Carter being operated on. On being alone when he woke up. His heart fought his mind, telling him to go back inside and be with Carter. But he continued forward.

Didi spoke again, breaking him out of his thoughts. “So, you said our kidnapper blew up his own getaway car? I’m surprised considering it was reported stolen.”

“Unless he already knows he’s in the system. Besides destroying any trace evidence that might come up, if he thought the GPS was still in the car he knows it would have been destroyed too.”

She looked down at the device in her hands. “You’re right. If we’re lucky there’s a chance the he thinks we don’t know where his hidey hole might be.” Didi tossed Lee the GPS and unlocked her so they could both slid into the seats. “Hopefully, though, we have some time to find the place before he decides to rabbit.”

Lee turned to Didi. “Rabbit?”

“Yeah,” she said with a shrug. “You know, run away scared. Like a bunny.”

“That is an accurate description I guess,” Lee commented after he turned back to the device to look up its history. There were only two addresses listed. One was Gilly’s apartment and the other he didn’t recognize.

“I don’t know too many people who still use a GPS anymore,” Lee said and punched the latter address to search bring up the directions. “But I will take what we can get. Let’s go find our kidnapper.”

While Didi drove, Lee tried to keep his mind focused on the case but it kept going back to Carter possibly fighting for his life back in the hospital. He kept flashing back to holding Carter’s hand in the van, begging the man not to slip away from him.

“-listening to me?”

 Lee jerked his head back towards Didi who was looking at him with concern.

“I’m sorry,” he said and shook his head. “I-I’m-”

“I know,” she interjected. “I’m worried about him too.”

Lee swallowed and could only nod.

“What I was saying though was I got the chance to go through some of the documents Gilly gave me.”

Lee sat up in surprise. Once he had heard about Gilly’s kidnapping all thoughts on Didi’s assignment had been pushed aside. “So you assume as well as I that somehow he found out Gilly was helping us with the case and knew about UCLA’s separate investigation? Or something we don’t know about yet?”

“It’s as good a guess as any,” Did answered with a shrug. “It had some interesting information on it.”

“Such as?”

“Such as before coming to the states, in preparation for her visit Galina wanted to hire an American as a nanny to watch her three year old son and to get him started learning English.”

A beat passed before Lee blinked and said, “Her son?”

Didi nodded and cast a glance at the GPS before making a turn. “Yep. Apparently three years before the good-will trip to UCLA she had adopted an infant boy to raise as her own. The ballet made a big deal about it; their rising star with a heart of gold taking in a street orphan to give him a better chance at life.”

She looked over at Lee. “She claimed he was the child of a war veteran whose mother died of syphilis when she contracted it by trying to sell her body for food to feed her starving child. I have a feeling, considering what that country was going through at that time, that story definitely tugged at some heart strings.”

Lee slumped back into his seat. “That cannot be a coincidence.”

Didi shook her head. “Not according to what we know about Nadia having a son as well. And, get this, it was never publicly released but the private investigators the university hired to look into the disappearance revealed that the liaison who set up the correlation between the school and theater apparently admitted to having an affair with Galina when he was in Russia making the connections.”

Lee mulled over this new information. “A romance with an American who could help her defect if she wanted.”

“And an American nanny to get her son started on learning the language of his new homeland? It’s possible.”

“But it still doesn’t explain what’s going on now,” Lee muttered. “Why wait so long to kill Nadia if she was involved? And if she was involved, why bring the police into the investigation of her murder?” Lee sighed and looked out at the buildings. Not for the first time did he wish Carter was here.

“The kidnapper had an eastern European accent,” Lee said and Didi gave him a sharp look.

“You’re not thinking-” she began.

“He only said a few words. ‘I have no fight against you’. Even though I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, I could hear the accent.”

“Lee, that would make him over seventy years old. If you’re thinking he’s Galina’s son-”

“Nadia’s,” Lee said and turned to Didi.

She sighed. “If you think he is their son it might make some sense. But it barely answers our questions. Not to mention bringing in a bunch of new ones.” She paused to hold up a finger. “And, you said you fought him. I’ve seen you fight and I’m having a hard time believing a seventy year old guy with a noticeable limp could hold his own against you.”

Lee shifted uncomfortably. “Do not tell Carter, and especially Gerald, but I have fought against men and women much older than that man and-” he paused to try and explain what he wanted to say.

“You lost?” Didi asked, her mouth open in surprise.

“No!” He exclaimed indignantly as he folded his arms. “In my culture treating the elderly with respect is extremely important for those who are proficient in various forms of martial arts. To engage with them in an honorable battle is an important act of demonstrating their dedication to decades of unyielding practice; a helpful reminder that no matter how good you are, you can always be better.   

“So…they kicked your ass.” Didi said again and this time she couldn’t suppress a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth that let out a few giggles.

As an answer Lee only sighed in aggravation and laid an elbow on the sill of the car window.

* * *

 

It didn’t take them long to get to the address listed in the GPS. They already knew to avoid the main route the kidnapper had taken; no doubt there would be a clogged up detour for the traffic from the wreckage.

Eventually they arrived in front of a plain brown house nestled innocently between a suburban array of other simple homes.

They drove by the suspect’s house and were greeted with an inconspicuous looking one story ranch. The front door was as shut tight as the plain windows covered by plain shades. They drove up a few houses before parking.

Before Didi hung up her phone call from Captain Cole to acquire a search warrant she got an earful on how they should wait for backup. Didi, however, fought back, saying after what happened the last time she used dispatch, they weren’t sure who to trust right now.

“Here,” Didi said and leaned forward to pop open the glove compartment. She pulled out a single black gun case with a digital lock on it.

“I grabbed a backup at the precinct. There’s a holster in the backseat.” She worked at the lock using a six digit code he didn’t recognize until the box clicked open. She lifted the cover to reveal an all too familiar Beretta sidearm. 

As Lee took of his jacket his movements slowed and a lump of emotion clogged his throat so fully he almost lost the ability to breathe. “That,” he started and had to swallow before could speak again. “That is Carter’s gun.”

“Not the exact one,” Didi said as she took out the Beretta 92FS and loaded it. “I sent Don over to grab it from security who confiscated it at the hospital. I know if you had to carry you’d prefer a SIG, but this is all I had time to get.”

He nodded and slid on the holster before grabbing the weapon. He wasn’t a fan of firearms for a number of reasons, but Didi giving him the Beretta without asking permission was a clear statement that she wasn’t going into the house without armed backup. He didn’t blame her, she had more to lose than he did.

As the cool metal slid out of his hands into the soft leather holster, a wave of sadness he’d been holding back washed over his body. Carter should be sitting beside him, gearing up to move in on their suspect. He shouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed, possibly fighting for his life because his partner hadn’t made it in time-

“Hey,” Didi said, interrupting his thoughts. He looked over to meet her concerned eyes and realized he’d been staring into space, his breathing suddenly fast and heavy. He didn’t even notice when she had put her hand on his shoulder and had given it a comforting squeeze to bring him back to reality.

“I’m not even going to ask you to sit this one out, because I know what you’d say,” she said calmly and slowly to give him some time to even out his breaths and center himself.

“You are correct,” Lee said after a few moments when he felt steady again. There was no way he would leave her to go in alone, and he’d let hell freeze over before passing up the chance to apprehend the man who had hurt his partner.

“Then I need you focused, okay? I’m worried and pissed off too, but we got to be smart about this.” She let go of his shoulder to check the safety on her gun. “So, let’s bag this asshole and figure out what the hell is going on. I want to be there when Carter wakes up.”

He nodded and exited the car along with her. “You want to take the lead?” He knew she preferred it from the stories she and Carter shared back when she was his partner off desk.

“Please,” she answered and they walked slowly up the street before taking a shortcut through a row of bushes separating the suspect’s location from their neighbors.

Her hand movements indicated she wanted to enter in through the backdoor. A quick surveillance of the front of the house proved nothing had changed since their first drive by, and Didi wanted to make their entrance low-key and inconspicuous. Residential areas could be just as tricky as commercial areas when it came to appending confirmed dangerous suspects. A civilian could appear at any time, and that always made the situation twice as difficult.

Lee followed Didi up to the splintering back porch nestled up against the house in a large, otherwise empty yard facing their back neighbors chained link fence. Large bay windowed doors covered by white shades hid the interior.

Lee stayed close, gun drawn, behind Didi as she slowly reached out and tugged at the long, gold door handle. It turned easily and she pushed it open. Silence greeted them as they entered an empty kitchen.

Lee and Didi encountered two doors on opposite sides of the room that led to the interior of the house. Didi hand signaled that she would take the right.

Lee nodded and slowly made his way through the left door. He came to a long hallway that ended with the front door of the house. A few feet down he saw an open, furniture-less living room on the right and a stairway leading to a second floor on his left. He watched Didi exit the dining room, empty of tables and chairs as well, adjourned to the living room and she mouthed ‘clear’ to him.

He nodded and continued down the hallway, coming to a stop when he saw another door to the left of the front door. Suddenly, through the silence he heard the sound of walking and hurried shuffling.       

He signaled to Didi to follow and quietly walked up to the door where the noises became louder. Didi stood next to him and nodded when she understood what was going on. Someone was in there.

She took a step back to give Lee space and held up three fingers. He nodded as he watched her countdown.

1…2…

When the third finger disappeared he kicked at the door and wasted no time in drawing his gun. “Freeze. L.A.P.D. Stay where-!” He stopped, his voice gone at what he saw. At who he saw.

All the anger, fear and guilt erupted in his mind like a suppressed hurricane boiling deep in his veins. He vehemently growled out a dark and angry swear in Mandarin before he let go and blindly allowed himself only one mode of action. 

Attack.


	9. Chapter 9

Both of Lee’s fists ached as he clenched them by his sides, but he barely registered the pain waging war with the anger coursing through his body.  

Through his precinct’s smudged two way mirror his eyes burned silent promises of vengeance towards the figure sitting in the chair inside the interrogation room. Captain Cole’s back was towards him, but he didn’t need to see her face to know she was getting nowhere with their suspect.

A voice suddenly saying his name broke through his thoughts. Through his rage.

Lee turned and regarded the uniformed officer addressing him, noticing how he was, in turn, being regarded warily with a slow up and down look. Lee already knew he was just as much a mess on his outside right now as he was on the inside. Didi had a begged him to change into his back up suit as soon as he arrived back at the station, possibly even taking a minute to shower off as much dirt and blood as he could.

And he would. Soon. As soon as his didn’t see red with every breath he took.

He knew she mostly wanted him to take those moments as a breather. To calm his racing thoughts as he bandage up his bruised knuckles. Ice down his sore wrists and treat the burns and cuts from saving Carter that hadn’t scabbed over yet.

But he couldn’t. Not yet. Not when he was so eager to move forward with the next step and interrogate the man who was somehow involved or responsible for so much damage and destruction to his beloved friend.  

He wasn’t ready though, and he had to be. A minefield separated him and all the answers to solving this case. Every single step had to be calculated. Perfected. One wrong move and things could quickly get out of hand.

Things that tended to happen when a detective was now a suspect in multiple investigations, including but not limited to the attempted murder of a civilian and a fellow officer.

“Hard to believe Detective Lang getting involved in something like this. Huh?” The officer muttered as his eyes roamed over Lee’s bruised knuckles, grasping Nadia’s case file in his hands to keep them from throwing open the door and finishing the job.

Lee didn’t blame the officer for his curiosity. Back at the house, when Lee kicked down that door and saw Detective Lang with a trash bag in one hand and evidence in the other, he had lost it. The man was on the floor bleeding before Lee even registered what he was doing.

Lang had a split second where he tried to get away, but his limp only slowed him down. Lee had only spoken with the man while he was sitting at his desk. He didn’t know Lang was injured on duty from a gunshot wound to his leg six months ago, and was still recovering.

Didi had been beside Lee as soon as the door banged against the wall, her gun drawn as well. She had opened her mouth to repeat Lee’s words then stopped, her eyes wide with recognition. It took her even longer to come to terms with Lee suddenly ending up on top of Lang, his fist connecting with Lang’s surprised face over and over until she had to call his name a few times, followed by “you’ll kill him!” until he finally allowed her grasp on his shoulder to tear him away.

He wouldn’t even bother denying it; he never would have been able to stop himself if Didi hadn’t been there. Hot rage had engulfed him whole when he saw Lang getting ready to destroy evidence. The memory of how he had almost lost his beloved little sister to a dirty MSS agent surged to the surface of his mind, and it made him realize that now he might lose his partner, his best friend, his everything; this time to a dirty cop.

He knew he shouldn’t have done it, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

The door they opened had led to the house’s garage. The interior was as empty as the rest of the house where normal garage equipment should have been. Instead, the walls were decorated with maps, pictures and notes with long red lines connecting and intersecting with each other. A clear sign that whatever they had been up to had been going on for a while.

In the middle of the room a plain brown chair with handcuffs on the arms sat. A small table stood beside it, with a small black leather parcel wrapped up neatly on top. Lee knew he wouldn’t need to wait to read the crime scene unit’s notes to know that nestled inside it tiny but painful torture tools were just patiently waiting to be used.

A table had an array of computers and gear on it. Next to it an impressive collection of guns, grenades and other ammo. Someone’s stash, though it looked like they were preparing for an army. Lee already knew it wasn’t Lang’s. The man he had fought was most likely its proprietor, and despite Lee’s desire to bury Lang, it was his associate Lee desperately wanted to bring in to get justice for Carter.  

“Detective Diaz is looking for you,” the cop said, dragging Lee out of his memory. He gave the officer a small nod of acknowledgement and turned away when he began to walk back the way he had come.

Suddenly, Lee had a thought.

“Officer. Wait.” He walked over to the man after he turned back to regard Lee.

When they were face to face Lee said, “Do you have a notepad?” The officer produced one from his shirt pocket along with a small pencil. Lee took both and began writing. “I have a job for you.”

* * *

 

Didi was on the phone when he arrived at her desk. “It might be a couple more hours, Gerald. Are you sure you don’t mind keeping Derek with you at the hospital?” She pulled the phone away when she saw Lee and rolled her eyes. “Babysitter bagged out early. Just my luck.”

Lee rose his eyebrows in sympathy and lent against her desk with his arms folded.

“You are a life-saver. I’ll make your favorite _empanadas de frijoles_ this weekend as a thanks.” She paused and let out a small laugh. “And my famous Sangria too. You got it.”

When she hung up she ran her hands over her eyes and spoke what Lee assumed was a quick and quiet prayer of thanks in Spanish before she let out a breath and regarded her friend. “How the hell did we get here? How could this have gotten so crazy? I mean Lang? Really?”

“I do not know,” Lee said. He was thinking the same thing. “But I will find out. Any word from Gerald on how Carter is doing?” 

She nodded. “He’s been in and out of consciousness for about an hour. No internal injuries but a bad concussion, a fractured arm and pretty much what you saw when you brought him in. He should be okay though. According to the doctors. They patched him up and they’ve got uniforms stationed at his door. Just in case.”

“Good,” Lee said and felt his body sag in relief. “We will head back to see him as soon as we can.”

Didi stood and waved for Lee to follow her. “I wanted that uniform to find you because there’s someone here asking to see you.”

“Me?” Lee followed Didi out the door towards the waiting area in the front vestibule of the precinct.

“He’s Asian. You expecting anyone from immigration? Or the consulate?”

Lee shook his head. When he came to the waiting room doors there was a man sitting patiently in his chair. Lee didn’t recognize him, but by the quality of his black suit, slick hair and expensive looking shoes and watch, wherever he was coming from involved some form of money, power or both.

Didi held back as Lee walked towards the stranger. When their eyes met the man stood, his stance direct and rigid, and greeted Lee in Mandarin with a small bow of his head.

Lee answered him back in their shared language. “Can I help you?”

The man opened his jacket and produced a thick manila envelope void of images or writing. “A gift from an ally within the Chinese Consulate who hopes you can help put away this unfortunate resurrection of a past that should have been left where it belongs. In the past.” He held out the envelope to Lee who took it.

“An ally?” Lee asked.

The man nodded again. “Good luck in your hunt, Detective Lee.” Then he turned and walked away.

Lee watched the man exit the building into a black car waiting for him. He stayed there until Didi walked up beside him, jerking him out of his confused trance. “What was that about?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered. When they walked back to his desk he sat down and opened the envelope. Out slid two thick, dark folders filled with papers and one small red envelope.

“Oh my God,” Didi said as she grabbed one of the folders from where she stood. “This has Nadia’s name on it.” She opened the folder and frowned. “It looks like redacted Chinese government files-” She paused as she flipped through some of the pages, then gasped. “With unredacted English translations in it!”

They both shared a surprised glance before Didi grabbed a chair to sit down the same time Lee grabbed the second folder which had the name Andrei Ianov on it with some identifying numbers he didn’t understand the meanings of. They both dived into the papers, scanning through the documents with the hope of discovering some answers to their questions.

“Not everything has been made available to us,” Lee said after a moment’s glance between the documents. “There are pages missing. And some information that doesn’t make sense…”

“But this might make some sense,” Didi held up a page. “It says here that our little ballerina Nadia was a spy for the Russian government.”

Carter blinked in surprise. “What?”

“A kind of spy. Think Mata Hari. Not officially, as far as I can tell. No code name yet, but…okay so according to this after coming back to Russia from her visit to America she was drafted by the embassy to spy on patrons who attended the theater and their parties. I’m taking a guess here but I’m assuming they meant the kind of people whose information could be used to their political advantage.”

“But why would the Chinese consulate know about it?” Lee pondered out loud.

Didi dove back into the papers before she answered, “The Chinese government shared her. Apparently she was so good at getting what they wanted the Russian’s struck a deal with the Chinese to sell them her information. And vice versa when they did tours in Hong Kong.” She looked up at Lee. “Forgive my lack of world history knowledge but does that sound like something China would have done back then?”

Lee snapped his fingers and spoke in Cantonese before repeating his words in English. “The Sino-Soviet relationship.”

“The what now?”

Lee stood and ran his hands through his hair, his mind digging into his memory as it pried out his country’s complex history with Russia. “The Sino-Soviet relationship. It is very old and complicated treaty but basically for a long time China and Russia were allies with strong diplomatic ties considering their geographical proximity. They split in the sixties when the Cold War was going on.”

“And when espionage was working its way to its hey-day.” She pointed to a document in Andre Ianov’s open folder. “And like mother, like son.”

Lee grabbed the folder and read through the contents. “I have not seen anything in here that indicates that Ianov was some kind of spy as well.”

“It doesn’t outright say it but check out some of the things he’s been associated with. Disappearances. Bombings. Assassinations. Not all but it looks like a bunch are politically related.” She pulled out a faded black and white photo of a young man in his early twenties.

“It’s a bit old but this look like your fighter?”

Lee shook his head, uncertain. It was too hard to tell, not only by the grainy image but the man who he fought was older and wearing shades and a hat. He'd need more.

He grabbed the folder and began to scan through the basic information on the man until something caught his eye. He looked up at Didi’s inquisitive face. “He spent some considerable time in China as well.”

Didi stood up quickly, her chair scratching the linoleum floor loudly. She paced a few steps and rubbed her eyes. “Okay. Okay, let’s take a breather here. We went from having absolutely no information to getting way too much in just seconds. Spies and weird old-school Cold War relationships were not anywhere on my radar with this case. My brain feels like it’s leaking out of my ears. We need to get this stuff organized and straightened out before we go any further.”

She walked over to the other side of the room and dragged a large white board towards her desk. As she started pulling out pages from the folders to tack them onto the board she said, “First things first. Where did this information come from? Who gave it to us?”

Lee looked down at the desk where the folders and papers were strewn all over and plucked the small red envelop he had nearly forgotten about out of the pile. He blinked in surprise at the gold lettering that decorated the front, spelling out his name with rose poppies all around it.

He opened it and pulled out a card. Inside it read:

_Brother, I know it will take time to mend the bridge that I have broken between us. I pray you will consider this gift as the first piece of lumber firmly nailed back down. Be safe. Always, Kim._

Lee swallowed against his throat tightening before he looked back at Didi. “My sister. It came from Kim.”

Didi rose her eyebrows in surprise. “You sister has some connections, Lee.”

He nodded. “That she does.”   

He folded the note back into the red envelope and was about to start helping Didi when he saw the uniform whom he had spoken with earlier walk into the room. The young man held out a case folder to Lee.

“Is this what you were looking for?”

Lee took the folder out of the officer’s hands and opened it. He quickly skimmed through the information until he found what he was looking for.

“Yes,” he said and closed the folder. “Please let me know as soon as Captain Cole is finished with Detective Lang. There are a few things we need cleared up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late with the update! I'll be traveling so I won't be able to update next week, but my usual updates will return after that! Thank you for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Lee.”

After that long delayed shower and a change of clothes, Lee soon found himself placed at his Captain’s mercy. It had taken some convincing, but Cole reluctantly agreed to let him interrogate Lang despite certain protocol which would have denied him such a chance.

“You have an half an hour,” Cole continued her warning to him outside the interrogation room. On the other side of the two way mirror Detective Lang sat at the table, his face blank of emotion.

Cole ran her eyes over the man with regret over losing a detective this way. But there was nothing to be done. “I have to meet with the commissioner, the mayor and God only knows who else, so if you can get me some information as to why one of my best detectives is involved with a possible murderer, I would appreciate it.” She sighed. “This all has to be quiet though. Technically I shouldn’t even be allowing this to happen. Carter’s your partner and there’s a definite conflict of interest here. But I haven’t had any luck getting him to talk and I want answers damnit.”

Lee had only nodded, silently once again appreciating his by the book Captain’s ability to know when to skip a page for the right reasons.

Now, he sat across from the man he’d only spoken with a day ago inside the room he had been confined in for hours. Up close he could see the damage he’d done to him, and knew he could have inflicted so much worse were he not stopped. In addition to the swollen lip, burst capillaries and bruises peppered along his face and arms, the detective looked tired and pale. But his eyes now held a fierceness that hadn’t been there before. Not when Lee first asked to take over the case, and not when their eyes locked after meeting in the garage, Lang’s hand stuffing evidence into a black garbage bag.

For a minute Lee took his time setting up his papers on the desk separating him from the man he wanted to throttle. He knew he needed the man alive, or at least conscious, to help tie up this mystery, but not since he held the Dragon’s life in his hands did he ever want to end another man’s life so badly. Though he wasn’t the one who had attacked Carter, Lang was involved with the man who did, and Lee wanted answers. Now.

While he organized his papers, Lee let the silence stretch in the room. It was a basic interrogation tactic, one he was sure Lang was more than familiar with, and wasn’t surprised after a couple minutes of silence the man finally spoke with a gruff, humorless laugh. “You really aren’t going to try that scare me into talking with this crap are you?” When Lee didn’t answer he sighed, a weariness evident through the cracks in his breath. “Going to do this by the book then, huh? So, where’s the bad cop to your good cop?”

“Your friend put him in the hospital,” Lee said all too casually as he pulled one last file out of the folders. Lang had the grace to at least look upset by the news.

“I hope he’s doing alright,” Lang muttered, unable to meet Lee’s eyes.

Lee ignored him. “I would like to know where you friend is.”

“And I would like to know when my lawyer and union rep are going to get here.”    

“Your friend is wanted for questioning in regards to the disappearance of Galina Makarova, the murder of Nadia Lepedia, the kidnapping of Gillian Walsh and the attempted murder of Detective James Carter.” Lee held out a photo of each victim. He knew sometimes cops were given leeway when they were brought in for charges. The belief that they could still be innocent softening their colleagues attitudes and actions towards them. But Lee would give him no such mercy. He was a criminal, and Lee would treat him as such.

Lang ignored the photos. “I don’t know about any of that and I’m not saying another word until my lawyer and union rep get here.”

Lee placed his hand on the second item that was lined up next to the photos and slid the paper in front of him over to Lang. “According to our investigation we were led to a home we believe was rented by your friend under a pseudonym.

“I’m not-” Lang tried but Lee continued on.

“Your friend is a suspected soviet spy active up to and beyond the peak years of the Cold War.”

“I said I don’t know anything-”

Once again Lee cut him off. “However your friend was listed as KIA after a bomb was detonated in Belfast in the early nineties.”

Frustrated at not being listened too, Lang slammed his hand on the table. “That has nothing to do with-”

Undaunted, Lee spoke over his words. “Your friend is heavily suspected to have been involved with a variety of political assassinations, some even on U.S. soil-”

“He’s not my friend!” Lang suddenly exclaimed with agitation.

“So,” Lee sat back in the chair after a beat. “You admit to knowing the suspect?” Before Lang could back track Lee picked up the third item, another form, and slid it over to Lang. “I know for a fact that this particular individual isn’t, or wasn’t, your friend. The question is do I need to add his name to the list of victims I previously mentioned?”

Lang looked over the form for a moment before he tossed it back at Lee. He sat back in his chair and refolded his arms, his face paler than even before. There was no way out of this, and he knew it.

“You cannot deny that you don’t know this individual. After all, you just told me yesterday that his now widow was in the ICU and his son was, as I believe your exact words were, begging you to put a bullet in his father’s gut?”

Lee picked up the autopsy report for a man found in an alleyway dumpster with a slug nestled into his right temple. “You were in charge of the investigation of this man’s violent attempt to murder his wife? An attack that left her blind in one eye, down a kidney, and enough bruises to make people guess the color of her skin.” He tapped the paper laying on the table. “Not exactly in the gut but it still did the job.”

“If you’re implying that I killed the bastard-” Lang began but stopped when Lee waved a hand at him.

“No. Not at all. You have an alibi for his murder last night. I’ve already checked.” Lee paused. “I’m implying that your friend killed him. And I want to know why he would do that for you. What is his connection to these women? Why did he go after Gilly?” Lee slammed both his hand onto the table, a sliver of control lost as he finished. “I want to know what your relationship with Andrei Ianov is.”

Lang stilled when Lee said the man’s name. Lee wasn’t sure what the reaction he expected to get, but Lang’s eyes filling with fear and his mouth began to tremble open and close with unspoken words of terror.

Suddenly, he remembered his sister’s words. _I started asking her questions about her son. And that made her scared, Lee. Scared like saying his name would invoke a demon._

“Lang,” Lee tried.

“He will kill me,” Lang whispered.

“He already tried to kill my partner. I need to find him,” Lee demanded. “If you have any respect for the badge left you will tell me what your relationship is with Ianov. Why did he kill that man for you?”

Lang let out a scoff and looked away, slowly recovering from the shock. “The badge. I almost got a bullet lodged in my spine for the badge when a crazy ass nickel bagger showed up at a victim’s house I was investigating. Woulda never walked again if he aimed less than an inch lower.” He shook his head. “Don’t tell me about the badge. You know how many people I’ve seen lost because of the badge? Who never got justice when they deserved it?” He looked over Lee’s face. “Tell me you’ve never wanted to take the law into your own hands? To bring justice where there wasn’t any.”

Lee let the silence hang between them for a moment and then pointed to his cheek, indicating where he had left one of the many rather dark and painful marks on Lang’s face. “I think you know I have.”

Lang swallowed and nodded. He sat back in his chair and said, “None of it matters. I’m not going to tell you anything.”

“Yes, you will,” Lee answered confidently, as if he were talking about the sky being blue.

“I think you’re overestimating me,” Lang said, his voice gravelly and low and void of regret.

Lee ignored his comment. He knew just how much to estimate the man in front of him. “Depending on how deep this is, how long it’s been going on, if you give me some information I might be able to help you.”

Scoffing, Lang looked at the celling in exasperation. “Cop to cop here man. I know how screwed I am. It don’t matter what I tell you, I’m going down. And going down hard.”

“So you go down for what happened here, and Andrei goes free? I do not know about you, but that wouldn’t sit well with me, were I you.” Lee looked down at the crime scene photos of the murdered husband. “For a man so intent on risking himself for the justice of others, you seem strangely unconcerned about your own self-preservation.”

“He’s going free no matter what I do,” Lang said, but Lee could tell it was starting to dawn on him that, yes, Andrei could go free while he went away for the Russian’s actions. And from this side of the interrogation, it wasn’t sitting well with him at all. “If he were half as smart as I think he is, he’s most likely on a private jet to Hawaii as we speak.”

Lee didn’t think so. “You realize you are not dealing with just any detective, Lang. I took down the Quantou. A rogue elderly Russian will not be difficult for me to find. It’s getting him to talk after I find him which will be difficult. I don’t have all the answers that I need as to why he is here. What his end goal is.”  

“You don’t know anything about this guy. How crazy he is,” Lang said. Lee could see Lang’s resolve to stay silent slowly begin to fade. As much as he had turned criminal, he was still a detective, and the hunger for his own answers were evident in his eyes.

Lee glared at him. “He tried to blow up my partner. I think I have a pretty good idea how far he his willing to go.”

“You only think you know him.”

“I know enough to start. I know that he was born to Nadia Lepedia only to be given up directly after his birth.”

Lang looked away.

Leaning forward, Lee calmly folded his hands. So much for not getting him to talk. “So, you did know Nadia was Andrei’s mother. Did he tell you why he killed her?”

For the first time Lang looked confused. “What are you talking about? Andrei didn’t kill his mother.”

Not believing him, Lee raised his eyebrows. “Why would he be here then?”

“Why else?” Lang said. “He was here looking for her killer.”

Lang continued, unable to remain silent. “He came to me, when I was working the case. That’s how we met. He said if I helped him…he would help me.”

Lee could guess he meant the autopsy report in front of him.

“Somehow he found out about parts of the case that I hadn’t even put into the reports yet. Not even in the media. How she died, where she died.” He paused. “The Asian female suspect.”

Lee said nothing. His face betrayed even less.

“Look. He’s the one who found out it was your sister trying to engage with Nadia that night. Don’t ask me how. The man’s got contacts like you wouldn’t believe, but he couldn’t pin her down. He wanted to use you to bring her out into the open.”

Something clicked in the back of Lee’s mind. “He’s the one who attacked me that night. And left Galina’s file to get me on the path.” Lee subconsciously rubbed the back of his head where it was still sore from his fall. “He wanted to make sure I couldn’t ignore that there was a possibility my sister was involved. So I was targeted directly so I would become involved in the case.”

“I didn’t know he was going to do that to you. I didn’t even know you had a sister who was undercover for so long in L.A.”

Lee met Lang’s eyes, and lowered his voice to a deadly octave. “There was a reason for that.”

Lang remained silent for a moment, letting Lee’s warning sink in.

Lee let him. “Why did you take Gilly today? What was Andrei’s end game in that move?”

Lang sat back in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. “From everything you’ve seen, I bet it shouldn’t surprise you that Andrei isn’t what you’d call a patient man. After an hour dealing with him I could tell he’s used to handling things himself and getting the results he wants.” Lang held out his hands in a pleading manner. “I didn’t know it was going to go that far. With you or the kid. When Carter came over asking about Nadia’s son I knew he was getting his intel from somewhere I hadn’t tracked down yet. Turns out Andrei had been tailing Carter, and knew about your source. He broke into Walsh’s office and found her research trail into Galina and Nadia’s deaths. He wanted to know how much you guys knew. How far along you were to bringing your sister in.”

“So you kidnapped her to interrogate her?” Lee shook his head in disbelief. “Why not just come after me?”

Lang ran his hands over his face. “Like you said, you aren’t just any detective. We take you in and we got the entire prescient, hell the entire L.A police force up our ass. Better to get our info second hand. And kidnapping the girl wasn’t part of the initial plan. I was hoping to find the research in her apartment. If it was there and she hadn’t given it to you then there was no reason for Ianov…to talk to her.”

Lee tried not to think of what would have awaited the young girl in the garage had they not saved her. “But she had given us the information.”

Lang placed his hands flat on the table, his eyes focused on his knuckles. “When I couldn’t find the research in her apartment Andrei took the car and said he was going to bring her to the safe house he’d been using here in L.A. I went back here, to the prescient, to try and not think about the cluster-fuck of a mess I was digging myself into even further. But that’s also when the call came in from Carter.”

Lee felt his hands slowly clenching tight once more. “You were the one who diverted the back-up to a false location.”

Lang didn’t look up.

Lee quickly stood, his chair flying back until it fell sideways. His voice rose to an octave he couldn’t remember ever using before. His rage soared to a level he hadn’t felt since he received the phone call his sister had been murdered. “Answer me!”

“I needed to buy some time,” Lang said, his eyes still not meeting Lee’s. “I knew if Andrei was caught it would only be a matter of time before we were linked-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. The door to the interrogation room flew open, the handle crashing against the wall. In rushed Didi, her eyes were ablaze with anger and her mouth a fine line of determination. She didn’t bother to look at Lee as she stalked over and, without warning, decked Lang directly in the jaw, causing the man to fall to the ground in a surprised, painful heap.

“Didi!” Lee exclaimed in shock. But she continued to ignore her friend as she knelt on the ground, grabbed Lang’s shirt, and hauled him up until their faces were almost touching.

“Where is he?” Her voice was a low growl, each word permeated with the threat of more pain to come.

“Who-” Lang tried but Didi swung again, her fist making a sickening crunch as it connected violently against his flesh.

She spoke again only after he spit out some blood and blinked widely at her. “You know who I’m talking about. Carter! Where the hell is he? Where did he take Carter?”      

Lee shoved himself away from the table. He grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her away from Lang as the man panted in fear and pain on the floor. “What is going on?”

Didi held up her phone. “I just got a call from Gerald. When he came back to the hospital after getting Derek, Carter was gone.”

The edges of Lee’s vision turned white for a moment and he felt fear like a bullet being shot low in his stomach. “What?” He barely managed to form the word.

“Orderlies and the guards said a male nurse came in and took him to a get another CT scan done. But he never came back.” She panted as she spoke, desperate to keep the building panic at bay.

Lee turned to Lang who was using the edge of the table to pull himself up off the floor. His knees had barely lifted off the concrete before Lee grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him hard against the wall.

“It was Andrei, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?” When Lang didn’t answer Lee shoved him again, this time harder. “Why did he take Carter? What is going on Lang?”

Lang tried to pull Lee’s hands off him, but he was effectively pinned down.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Lee heard Captain Cole enter the room, yelling, but he ignored her.

“I don’t know what he’s up too,” Lang finally grunted out. “But taking Carter means he’s not running. He’s not done with you yet. He has some kind of a plan. And I bet you’ll find out about it soon enough.”

Suddenly Lee’s phone started to ring. He turned to Didi and their eyes locked. He let go of Lang’s shirt and ignored how the man slumped against the wall, grumbling and rubbing at his throat.

He quickly reached into his jacket and pulled out his iPhone. The incoming call said it was from Carter, behind his name was a picture of him asleep on his couch with half a slice of pizza hanging out of his mouth.

“Carter?” Lee asked desperately. Even though he knew the chances were slim, he was still devastated when the voice that spoke back wasn’t his partner.

“Detective Lee,” a decidedly familiar eastern European accent answered. “I assume you already know what has happened to your partner. I am outside of your prescient in an ugly grey Sedan. If you ever want to see your man alive again I suggest you get into this vehicle within the next three minutes. I warn you, I am not one to abide by tardiness.”

Lee hung up when the line went dead. Without saying a word to anyone he turned and walked out of the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update is late! I made some changes that I hadn't anticipated. Hope you all enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been a bit since I've updated! I will be getting back to regular updates, hopefully getting a second chpater out there before next week to catch up. I know you guys will really like the next chapter ;)

The grey sedan was exactly where Andre said it would be. Parked in front of the building; a dark figure in the passenger seat. Just as he grabbed the handle to the front door to exit the precinct, he felt a hand grasp his arm.

“Lee. Stop! What’s going on?”

Because it was Didi, he did stop. He turned to the pleading woman looking at him with desperate confusion.

Gently, he took her hand around his arm and slid it off, then squeezed it comfortingly before he gave her a solemn nod and looked her in the eyes. “I am going to get Carter. I promise to you,” he squeezed her hand a little tighter, “I will not return without him.”

She took in a shuddering breath, then opened her mouth as if to say something. But instead of speaking she just nodded and let his hand go.

With one last look, he turned and pushed the door open, then trotted quickly down the steps. When he got to the Sedan he didn’t bother to stop by the passenger door. Instead he walked around the car, opened the driver’s side door, and slid inside.

Immediately he recognized the man sitting beside him as the kidnapper he fought earlier that day, though he couldn’t perfectly place him as the young Andrei Ianov he saw in the man’s old military photo. He wore the same purple hat and dark shades, but the gun he held low in his lap was different than what he had used to attack Carter and Gilly.

Lee eyed the barrel being pointed at him before he looked up at Andrei. “Where is Carter?”

While keeping his eyes on the police building, Andrei reached into the pocket of his jacket and produced two white zip ties. “Tie yourself to the steering wheel in a way that you can still drive.” His voice was as deep, thick and accented as Lee had remembered. “If anyone from your force follows us, your partner is dead.”

Lee took the ties and said, “Not until you tell me where Carter is.”

Finally, Andrei spared Lee a glance. “Finding your friend alive is based upon a very strict timeframe. I suggest you do as I say with as little argument possible if that is the outcome you would prefer.”

Lee clenched his jaw so tight with frustration he could feel it ache as much as his fists at not being able to force this man to reveal Carter’s location. Instead, he zipped one hand to the steering wheel and reluctantly allowed Andrei to finish zipping the other. When he was done Andrei reached into Lee’s jacket pocket and fished out his iPhone. He opened the car’s window and tossed it onto the sidewalk.

“Drive,” Andrei instructed as he settled back into his seat. “I will tell you where to go.” He paused as he turned to Lee. “No GPS this time I’m afraid.”

Lee pressed his lips together but said nothing. Despite being driven everywhere by Carter, Lee actually did know how to drive, though he didn’t have a license here in America. When he was first training to become a police officer he was required to submit to and pass a driving test for both a car and a motorcycle. When he became a detective it wasn’t as necessary to have those skills, but he still kept up with it occasionally.

Now, having lived a year in America and barely driving on the road for any of it, Carter was extremely possessive of his car and like driving all the time anyway, Lee was torn between driving safe and speeding up to find Carter.

“Where are we going?” Lee asked.

Andrei sighed. “Again with the questions.”

“If I only have so much time to find Detective Carter I would like to get there sooner rather than later.” Lee was practically seething as he spoke. It was better to feel the rage than the fear. 

“You have time. Trust me on this.”

Lee grasped the steering wheel and tried to remain focused. “Then at least tell me what you plan to do with me? With him?” Lee knew he needed to keep Andrei talking. Any hint, any misstep, might help get both Carter and himself out of this situation alive. 

But Andrei merely grunted and glanced at the rearview mirror to make sure they weren’t being followed. “You would have me monologue my plans like some terrible American action movie? Well, forgive me Mr. Bruce Willis if I would like you to work a little harder than that.”

Lee didn’t get the reference but he let it slide.

Instead, he aimed for a different angle. “I spoke with Detective Lang. He said that you believe my sister is the one who killed your mother?”

“Turn left up there,” Andrei said as his answer.

Lee took the turn. “I spoke with her myself. She said she didn’t do it.”

Silence.

“I know all about your mother. How she used her position in the ballet as influence while she worked for the Russian and Chinese consulates to gather political information.”

Andrei let out what Lee assumed was a wry chuckle.  

“The great detective who took down the infamous Hong Kong Quantou knows all about my mother. Is that it?

Andrei continued when Lee remained silent. “Well then, let me tell you something; a dead mother has been a wonderful motivator for me. Got me out of retirement early to find out who put her in the ground. Now, I am hoping a dead partner for you will, how do these Americans say, give you a little pep in your step as well, eh?”

Lee didn’t think, he just broke. He pressed one foot on the break, twisted his body, and shoved his other foot hard against Andrei’s throat, pinning the man to the window beside him. Cars swerved and honked all around them when the car came to a sudden stop, but Lee didn’t move.

Though Andrei didn’t see the attack coming, once he realized what had happened he held his gun up to Lee’s face, trying to keep his position of authority clear. Lee couldn’t care less. He was done playing by this man’s game while Carter was somewhere in danger. Every fiber inside raged to tear this man apart until he told him where Carter was. The idea of his friend being dead grated at him so deep he wouldn’t be surprised if he never felt whole again.

“I could kill you,” Andrei grunted out as he tried to unsuccessfully pry Lee’s foot off with his free hand.

“And I can crush your neck in half,” Lee shot back and pressed a little harder. “Give me proof Carter is alive, or we both die today.”

“You would take that chance with your partner’s life?” Andrei tried to suck in a desperate gasp for air.

“You want the person who killed your mother. I am trying to tell you that you are going after the wrong suspect. Do you want to let her killer go free just because you are stubborn?”

Using this stalemate as a chance to finally get Andrei to listen to him, Lee continued. “Kim went to go see your mother that night because the Dragon from the Quantou ordered her to do so. Do you know why?”

Andrei said nothing. Just gasped.

“I believe that is the key to her death. Whatever the Dragon wanted with her, it had to do with you. And she paid for her life because of it.” Lee’s body ached in this position and he could feel his wrists burning from where they were turned and tied up to the steering wheel, but he refused to back down.

Andrei whacked at Lee’s foot; he let up a bit of pressure.

“You wish to interrogate me on what I do not know? Typical stupid detective. How am I to know the interests of a dead man? Your sister was last seen with my mother that night. Why she murdered her is not the matter. Who else would want her dead?”

A car flew by and someone screamed a slew of swear words at them, but Lee barely heard their words as his mind churned. If Andrei was not the killer, and he truly believed his sister was not guilty…who else would that leave?

Lee blinked once, then twice as his mind screeched to a halt. They had been so blindsided by the uniqueness of this case, how almost every twist and turn left one of them hurt even worse than before, they hadn’t been seeing and working their mystery the way detectives should. A possibility that would save Kim and, hopefully, Carter, began to form in his mind.

“Let me help you in exchange for freeing my partner. I ask again, and only once more, give me proof he is alive. Or we both die today and the real killer goes free.”

“Why would I need your help? I know what I need with you, and that is to find your whore of a sister.”

“You need my help because I know who really killed your mother,” Lee said, physically forcing himself not to crush the man’s throat for his slur against Kim.

“You are lying,” Andrei hissed.

Lee looked him in the eyes. “You are a former Soviet spy, trained in a hundred different ways to understand a hundred different aspects of how a human acts and reacts. Was deciphering if a man was lying the one part of your training you decided to sleep through?”

Andrei regarded Lee stonily for a moment then whacked his foot once more. “Fine. Fine!” He reached into his jeans pocket and, with better ease than Lee expected, one handedly pulled out his phone and thumbed through it until he brought up a map.

“Once again a GPS will prove useful to you, Detective. I put a tracker on your partner’s phone so that if you do as I ask, and I get the results I want, you will be able to find him.” He lowered his phone. “As I said before, I have no fight with you. Only your sister.”

“Where is he?” Lee demanded. The map he was seeing described a puzzle of windy roads, but no street names or markers were noticeable.

“That will be answered after I get what I want.”

“That is not proof!” Lee yelled, his frustration growing once more.

“That is all I have to give and all you will get. And once again, you are wasting time. I was not lying when I said arguing with me will not lead to your preferred outcome.”

Lee gritted his teeth and held back a yell of anger as he finally slammed his foot back down. He watched as Andrei rubbed his throat from where it was blotched red with his shoe’s imprints. Though Lee was expecting it, it still hurt like a bitch when Andrei reared his fist back and decked him across the jaw.

“Try that again, and I will put a bullet in your partner, and after you watch him die, I will put another one in you,” Andrei grunted, his voice raw from the lingering pain in his throat.

Lee worked his sore jaw, silently making his own promises.

“Tell me what happened to you after Galina Marakova disappeared?” Lee finally asked as he moved the car forward. He knew they wouldn’t have had much more time before the police arrived. “If our assumptions are correct you were adopted by her after your mother gave you up for birth?”

Ianov didn’t look at Lee but he could tell by the man’s silence that Lee knowing so much about his past didn’t sit well with him.

“I fail to see what any of that has to do with what is going on today. Especially if you try anymore tricks.”

“Humor me,” Lee said, a phrase he had learned from Carter. _Hold on a little bit longer_ , he thought and gripped the steering wheel tighter. _I’m on my way_.

Andrei grunted once more and for a moment Lee thought he would continue ignoring him, but eventually he spoke.

“You think you know so much because of tiny words that were written on flimsy paper by men who control nothing but think they are capable of crumbling mountains with their hands.” He finally turned to Lee. “Those men are often the most easiest targets of all to eliminate.”

“I don’t understand,” Lee said.

“Yet, you think you know enough to ask me the right questions?”

“I know your mother was sixteen when she gave you up. Somehow you ended up with Galina raising you, or had intentions to do so. Both Nadia and Galina ended up on the good will tour to UCLA with you in tow, and at some point while here in America, Galina went missing. Nadia went back to Russia where she became a…special liaison for the Russian consulate. And you…” Lee trailed off. “You went on a different path.”

“I protected my country,” Andrei said forcefully. Then he shook his head and said, “There were not many other options at that time for an orphan other than factories or the military.” He thumped his chest and sarcastically said, “Bad lungs when I was young, you see.”

Lee pressed his lips together. Military. He had suspected as much.

“You ended up back in the system after Galina disappeared? Didn’t you?”

“The system,” Andrei looked down at his gun as his answer. “That is an interesting way to call it here.”

“You joined the military and eventually became part of their intelligence system,” Lee sounded out. It was as much as he and Didi speculated back at the precinct. Before interrogating Lang they had reviewed the case with its notes and photographs tacked up to the whiteboard, more spilling out along their desks and chairs. An array of intermixing ideas and theories zigzagged between each item. “Your paths crossed. Didn’t they?”

He nodded. “Belgrade. I was ordered to kill a man after she had been ordered to extract information from his wife. If our handlers knew we were related then they didn’t say anything. Or didn’t care. The ballet had ended, and I followed them back to his home. I did not know who she was, but the moment her eyes fell on mine…the recognition.” He paused, lost in the memory. “She said that my father was my mother’s dance instructor at the university she attended. When she told him she was carrying he forced her to give the child up or else he would ban her from ever working in the dancing circuit. He was already married, and said he had no interest in having bastard children running around Moskova. Dancing was all she had, so she did as he said to keep us alive.” He turned to Lee. “Imagine her fury when she realized he had decided instead to give her son to his more preferred mistress, Galina Marakova.”

“Like giving a spoiled child a puppy, I was her play thing,” Andrei said to Lee’s surprised glance. “She wanted a child without ruining her figure. As her fame rose so did her disinterest in me, until the good will tour. I remember vaguely the American who came to formulate the program. He always had sweets and let me ride on his shoulders. I like to believe he adored me, but I know that Galina loved him.”

“So,” Lee tentatively spoke after Andrei once again became silent. “She wanted to be with this man, and you were part of the deal. That is why she brought you to America. She planned on defecting with the help of the liaison, but he most likely would not have done it without you.”

“Zachariah Jones,” Andrei said evenly. “That was his name.”

“Did Nadia ever tell you what happened to Galina?”

“What makes you think my mother knew what happened to her?” Andrei asked angrily.

Lee expected the outburst, but he could see the truth in his captor’s eyes.

“She said she had nothing to do with it, didn’t she?” Lee said. “But you thought differently. You knew differently. All your training, everything you learned. You knew.”

“Whatever my mother did, that woman she did it to deserved it,” Andrei grunted back.

“And possibly because of that your mother suffered the same fate,” Lee said.

Andrei remained silent. Lee didn’t expect him to speak again, but he at least had a clearer picture of what this case’s backstory was. After a few minutes of driving Andrei said, “Take this exit up here.”

Lee passed it.

Quickly Andrei held the gun up to Lee. “What are you up to now?”

“I said I would help you find your mother’s killer, and I will.” When Andrei didn’t put the gun down Lee looked at him. “I will not risk my partner’s life. No tricks.” Another phrase from his friend. He needed to find him. Soon.

Another moment passed, then Andrei put the gun down. “I guess we shall see then.”

Lee licked his lips and glanced at the gun, then Andrei’s face. “Whatever you say, _mao zi_.

For the first time, Andrei smiled a real smile. “There it is! That _iskra_. That spark that took down the Quantou! My God, _Apyr_. _Mao zi_. I have not heard that term for some time. It does me well to see you are not so innocent.”

Ignoring his laughter, Lee gestured towards the iPhone on Andrei’s lap. “Before we arrive I need to make a call.”

With a shrug, Andrei lifted his phone. “Ah, why not? I am curious to see where this path goes. Who knows? You and your partner might just get out of this alive.”

* * *

 

The parking lot to UCLA was bustling as Lee pulled in. Andrei frowned at the swarm of people passing by, his mouth growing even deeper when Lee pulled into a parking spot.

“Why are we here?” Andrei asked suspiciously. With eyes trained to seek every possible threat he surveyed their area and every person within sight.

Lee pressed on the break and turned to Andrei. “Our killer is here. Where this all began.” He nodded towards the zip ties. All around them students and teachers walked passed, busy with their own demands from life. Lee knew his chances of someone spotting them were slim.

Andrei shook his head. “Tell me where your suspected killer is and I will find out if you are telling the truth or not.”

“No. If I am wrong I don’t want you torturing an innocent person.”

“So, you are not sure?” Andrei asked as he slid a Swiss army knife out of his back pocket and cut the zip ties. Lee wasn’t naïve enough to believe he was releasing him because he agreed with him; the way Andrei’s leg was bouncing and how his eyes roamed eagerly around the campus told Lee he was eager to move forward with his revenge. “This might be more fun than I thought.”

Lee frowned at Andrei’s tone. He just hopped he hadn’t wasted time that Carter needed.

They got out of the car and after rubbing his wrists Lee turned to Andrei. “Give me your phone.”

“You are a funny one detective. All these calls. It makes me wonder just how good you are at your job. No.”

“This is a big campus. I am not sure where this individual is. I need to look it up.”

Glancing around, Ianov noticed a small bench by the sidewalk. He walked over and sat down, resting an arm along the back of the bench. He pulled out his phone and raised an eyebrow.

Lee sighed and sat beside the man. Andrei was smart, he would keep Lee close. He watched as Lee typed and searched on his phone. When he found who he was looking for Andrei whistled and said, “What makes you think this is the man who will be dead by the end of the day?”

Lee tossed the phone back to Andrei and stood, straightening his jacket. “Let’s find out.”

* * *

 

Powell Library stood tall and sturdy within its respected position on campus grounds. Built specifically in a Romanesque revival style, it displayed a sense of royalty one would commonly see in a cathedral in Europe. It was the first time Lee had been to the library, and had time and danger not been of the essence, he would have taken a moment to enjoy its architectural and historical uniqueness.

From one until five in the afternoon, this was where Dr. Martin Shen kept his out of office ‘office hours’. According to his staff information page on the school’s website, Shen would be working on research at Powell’s, but he welcomed any students who wanted to interrupt him to interpret, debate or conference on any subject discussed, or not discussed, for that semester.

When they approached Shen, Lee expected the man to look up at them in surprise, expecting to find a familiar student or friendly librarian heading his way. He should not have been expecting Lee and his new companion to appear, standing in front of his table, their purpose unclear.

Shen sat at an elongated wooden table illuminated by the hot L.A. sun shining in from a large window to his right. Beyond the glass structure was the sight of perfectly manicured lawns and the ornately organized tile and brick courtyard laid out in a detailed mosaic. 

Shen merely looked up and welcomed them with a smile. “Detective Lee.” He glanced up and down at both men with a slight weariness, but otherwise remained jovial and polite when he continued to speak. “This is a surprise.”

Lee could tell that for some reason it wasn’t.

“Is there something I can help you with?” He glanced at Lee, waiting for an introduction for Andrei. When he realized one wasn’t coming, he slowly closed a book the size of a tome he’d been reading and pushed aside a MacBook to create an open space, indicating he was willing to give Lee his full attention.

Quietly, Lee pulled out the chair across the table from Shen and sat down. Andrei remained standing. Lee held up three fingers and said, “Dr. Shen. You have three.” He paused before continuing. “Who told you about our case?”

He expected Shen to be nervous, or hesitant. At least act defensive at Lee’s demeanor, his sudden suspicious questions without any pleasantries or explanations.

But Shen only continued to smile and said, “Miss Gilly came to me-”

“That is the first lie,” Lee said and closed one of his fingers. “Please. Doctor. Who told you about our case?”

“A lie?”

“Miss Gilly told us you came to her. She said that you were informed by the school’s committee that we were looking into information about Nadia Lepedia’s death. This was not so. So, again…who told you about our case?”

Shen raised a surprised eyebrow at Lee. “You wouldn’t believe me.” He glanced at Andrei, then back at Lee. “Well, you might.”

“Try me,” Lee said but just Shen shook his head.

“Do you have any other questions, detective?”

Lee frowned, but let it go. “Yes.”

He paused, weighed his options, and then took a chance.  

“Did you have any communication with Nadia Lepedia before her death?”

A few beats of silence passed before Shen nodded. “Yes. She and I had communicated before her demise.”

“Records never showed her making contact with you,” Lee said.

Shen gave Lee a sympathetic smile. “Records should realize payphones are not extinct yet, detective.”

“What did you talk about?”

“It’s not pertinent-”

“Second lie,” Lee interrupted, then folded down a second finger. “What did you talk about?”

Shen sighed. “She knew about my research into Galina Marakova’s death. She needed help. A favor.”   

“What kind of favor?”

Shen frowned and looked up at Andrei who was cool and silent behind Lee.

“One that I think would be hard for you two boys to understand.”

Evasive, still. And Lee needed more. He needed more to get to Carter. “You have one lie left Dr. Shen. And I promise you, you will not like what happens if you lie to me again. Tell me, now, did that favor end with you killing Nadia?”

For a half second Lee thought Shen might try to talk his way out of it. As with so many of these interrogations, denial and outraged voiced through stuttered indignation was the norm. But, he didn’t. Instead, he placed his hands flat on the table in front of him and closed his eyes. He took in one long, deep breath, then slowly let out.

Lee titled his head to the side, confused. He opened his mouth to try and get the man’s attention, but suddenly his mind was filled with just…Carter. In a quick flash, the past few hours where he had lost his beloved friend to violence and deception flew through his mind. From his gut-wrenching fear at hearing Carter was gone, to his bargain for Carter’s life. Everything inside overflowed with acknowledging the man who held his heart, and the desperate lengths he would go to get him back.

And just as suddenly as it began, it was over. Dizzy, Lee ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes tight, trying to organize his jumbled thoughts. Behind him he heard Andrei grunt, then place a hand on the back of his chair to steady himself.

When the spinning stopped Lee opened his eyes and saw that Shen was now standing, his face pale and his eyes wide with sorrow.

“I never meant for this to happen. I am truly, truly sorry,” he whispered. Then, before Lee even knew what was happening, Shen picked up the heavy book, stepped forward, and whacked the side of Andrei’s head. The Russian never saw it coming. He’d been half bent over and breathing hard from whatever strange head rush he too had just experienced.

Lee jumped up, his eyes wide in surprise.

“I-” he began, but stopped when Shen dropped the book and began digging through the semi-conscious man’s pockets. He finally found what he was looking for: Andrei’s phone.

Shen straightened and then grabbed Lee’s hand to pull it forward so he could dropped the phone firmly in it. Lee just stared down at it, dumfounded by this sudden turn of events.

“Don’t wait,” Shen said, breaking Lee out of his thoughts. “Detective Carter is running out of time. The entrance to the tunnels is through a door in the basement’s archives.”

Lee blinked and spared a glance down at Andrei groaning on the floor before he turned back to Shen. “Tunnels?”

Shen grabbed Lee’s arm and started tugging him down between the stacks. “Yes. Miles of them exist below the school. Your friend is down there.” He grabbed the phone out of Lee’s hand and turned it on, then brought it back to the map Andrei had shown Lee earlier.

“It is not a map of streets,” Lee said as they came to a stop by a door marked Emergency Exit. “It is the tunnels.”

Shen nodded, then looked back when he heard a loud yell. Andrei was coming.

“I will stall him as long as I can. Go. Now!”

Lee looked down at the phone then back at the man. “I don’t understand how you know all this, but thank you.” He paused. “I might have to come back and arrest you.”

Shen huffed out a laugh. “To be continued then, Detective.”

Lee nodded. “To be continued.” Then he turned and raced down the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! The next chapter will definitely be worth the wait!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few more chapters left to go!   
> Also WARNING: Graphic material ahead. One quick instance but if you don't like bloody, violent stuff, a heads up. Other than that please enjoy!

Lee knew the GPS wouldn’t be much help to him until he made his way down into the tunnels. Until then, he was stuck as the blinking yellow dot above the building he was in, racing his way downstairs to reach the basement archives and begin to search for an entrance he had no idea where to find.

When he finally reached the bottom of the stairwell, he came across a door with no markings on it. Locked, Lee took a few steps back and using all his force, kicked the door in.

He hoped no one heard him as he walked inside, flicking on the light switch. When the room lit up, he found himself faced with rows of shelves filled with books ranging in size from delicately small to thick and oversized that were kept behind locked plated glass. Ahead, Lee could see a large table filled with an assortment of notepads, white gloves, rulers, pens and other materials. He walked towards it, all the while keeping his eyes peeled for another door.

The smell of dust and synthetic cleaning materials filled his senses. It was hard to gauge how big the basement was, and Lee knew he didn’t have time to search every inch for the door. He wasn’t even sure how to get back from where he had come from.

Then he heard it. A footstep.

But it was too late.

Lee turned to where he heard the sound and was greeted with an explosion of pain across his jaw. He recovered barely enough to block Andrei’s second attempt to aim for his gut, but wasn’t ready for the side swipe at his legs that knocked him to the floor.

Shen apparently hadn’t been able to hold him off long. Did he tell the professor to call the police? He couldn’t remember. And why in his haste to find Carter didn’t he take one second to think about grabbing Andrei’s gun?

Speaking off which, Lee looked up just in time to see Andrei pull out said weapon from where it was tucked into his jeans to point it at him. But before the barrel could become level with his forehead, Lee kicked out at Andrei’s hand, causing the weapon to fly left and then skid onto the floor.

As Andrei swore in Russian, Lee used the momentum from his kick to bring himself back up into a low crouch, then stood quickly to swing a closed fist up into Andrei’s gut, forcing the air out of the man’s lungs.

Lee knew he didn’t have much time before Andrei would recover. He darted towards where he thought the gun might have landed, but barely got more than a few steps forward before he felt two strong arms wrap around his chest, lifting him high off the ground to then be thrown mercilessly onto the large table beside them.

Pain reverberated up and down Lee’s back as he landed on the assortment of books and tools scattered across the top of the table. He tried to ignore how he couldn’t breathe as the sharp fluorescent light above blinded him, keeping him from knowing which direction Andrei might attack him from next.

With a grunt Lee attempted to roll himself off the table. However, Andrei’s hands appeared in Lee’s vision and, without a moment to suck in a breath of air, his throat was engulfed between Andrei’s large fingers and thumbs.

“Does not feel so good, does it?” Andrei asked casually as his face came into view. “Feels even worse when it is a boot.” He squeezed tighter and ignored Lee’s futile attempts to claw at his hands to pry them off.

“Perhaps it will be a comfort to know you will die the same as your partner. The same as my wretched foster mother. Begging for air.”

“Tell me detective, how did you know it was that man who killed my mother? Who buried her alive?” It was a useless question, he barely moved his fingers enough to give Lee space to answer, much less breathe. But that didn’t stop Lee’s eyes from widening in horror. Carter…had been buried alive?

“You know, I was going to follow you into the tunnels. Kill you just as you rescued your partner, then kill him too. I want your sister to know what it is like to lose the only family she has. The only one that she loves.” Impossibly, his thumbs dug in even deeper. “I appreciate your attempts to steer me in the right direction. I really do. That man might have actually killed my mother. But, to be sure, I will, how do these Americans say…eliminate all the suspects.”

Lee slammed his hands out beside him, desperate to reach something, anything that might be able to help him. To help Carter. He wouldn’t let him die that way. Never.

Andrei didn’t seem to care about his struggles. His dark eyes stayed focused on Lee’s, watching for them to grow dull and lifeless. “Unfortunately, keeping you alive has proven to be more trouble than it is worth. Sometimes the not knowing if their loved one is alive draws people out faster. It will be interesting to see what lengths your sister will go to save her dead brother.”

The edges of Lee’s vision began to blur and darken. It was enough to almost distract him from the burning pain in his lungs as they clawed at his blocked throat for some air. Andrei’s words tore his mind to shreds, and if he was about to die, he didn’t want to think about what this man had planned for his beloved sister, who he truly believed would go to the distance to save him if she thought she could. And for Carter, who was somewhere, somehow suffering the same fate as him. And…

And the tips of his fingers touched something.

“You fought well friend,” Andrei continued, his voice almost soothing. Almost regretful. “In another life we could have caused great trouble. You and I. It has been ages since I have fought anyone like you-”

He didn’t get to finish, because Lee distracted him by jamming a pair of scissors in his eye.

So focused on watching Lee die, Andrei never saw it coming. And he never would again from his right eye. Blood poured in rivulets down his cheeks, and Andrei shrieked in pain and horror as he lifted his hands from Lee’s throat to inspect the damage.

Gasping in giant gulps of air at finally being freed, Lee quickly tumbled off the table onto the hard cement floor. As Andrei cursed and screamed his name, Lee didn’t wait a millisecond before he crawled away as quickly as he could, his eyes darting in every direction for the gun.

“Your death will be a thousand times worse now,” Andrei howled just as Lee saw the gun’s handle poking out beside the bottom of one of the stacks a few feet in front of him. Pushing himself onto his knees Lee lunged for the gun, barely gasping it by his fingers.

In lightning speed he spun around on his back and was faced with a murderous and bloody Andrei. He panted rage as the scissors he held coating his trembling hand a shade of red as dark the hole where the scissors had once been.

Pushing back his revulsion at how Andrei could have possibly pulled the scissors out, Lee mindlessly clicked off the safety of the gun and pointed it right at Andrei’s chest. “Drop the weapon,” he yelled.

Andrei’s only answer was to taking in a deep, shuddering breath, then let out a soul piercing howl of unrestrained wrath.

And then he charged.

Not expecting this, Lee did the only thing he could.

He pulled the trigger.

Once, twice, three times until Andrei fell to the floor, blood from his brand new wounds joining the smears on the cement.      

For a moment Lee didn’t move. He just breathed and tried to wrap his mind around how he possibly could have survived the insanity he just suffered through.

And then he thought: _Carter_.

Standing quickly Lee tucked the gun into the back of his pants and dug out the phone from his pocket. As he turned around in a circle to try and decide which way to go, a tentative voice called out, “Hello? Who’s down here?”

Before Lee could answer a young man dressed in a button down shirt and khakis walked into view. He was cherubic faced and fair haired. “Hey! Who are you? You’re not supposed to be down here-” he stopped short when he saw the chaos, and then went as white as the papers surrounding him when he saw Andrei.

Quickly Lee pulled out his badge and walked over to the man who was currently starting to hyperventilate. “Listen to me. I am an L.A.P.D officer. Detective Lee of precinct seven.” He grabbed the man by the shoulder and made him look at Lee. “Leave this room and call 911. Don’t come back here. Don’t let anyone come back here until the police arrive.” He gave the man a small shake when he started to turn and look back over to Andrei. “Listen to me,” he demanded and didn’t continue until their eyes met again. “Where is the entrance to the tunnels?”

Blinking, the young man stuttered out, “T-tunnels?” He was slowly starting to turn Kermit green and his Adam’s apple bobbed with swallowed nerves.

“Yes. The tunnels that run under the school. There is an entrance to them in this room. Where is it?” His voice grew more intense and determined, and if the young man knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t argue.

And apparently he did. “Um…down that way.” He pointed down one of the stacks rows. “But they’re off limits-”

He didn’t get to finish. Lee darted towards the row and yelled out, “Call the police. Now!”

Then he doubled back and nearly tripped over himself as he launched himself onto the table to grab a small pen light. He gave the man one last glare and waved his hand towards the direction he had first appeared from. “Go! Now!” Then disappeared down the row.

* * *

 The door, mercifully unlocked, led to a small walkway that ended with a ladder. Lee climbed down the best he could as he descended into the thick darkness. When he could finally feel the ground beneath his feet, he jumped down and pulled out the phone and pen light. It took a moment but he found a large lever on the side wall. Pulling it down, long unused low powered lights blinked rapidly before relenting to illuminate the endless rows of white pipping attached to the left side of the tunnel. In addition to the small beam of light given off by the pen light he turned on the GPS and quickly dialed his partner’s cell phone. He hopped he would hear it ringing in the distance, but knew it was a long shot.

 Walking slowly down the tunnel his hand gripped the phone like a lifeline as it continued to ring, and just when he expected it to go to voice mail a groggy voice finally answered, “Hello?”

 “Carter?” Lee exclaimed in a panic. “Carter, can you hear me?”

“Lee?” Carter asked, his voice heavy with sleep and confusion laced with the remnants of whatever painkillers the hospital and possibly Andrei had pumped into him. “Why you yelling? What’s going on?”

Lee wanted to sag against the wall in relief but wouldn’t allow himself a second to waste. He began to quickly but cautiously jog down the darkened hallway.

“Carter, just relax. Do not panic. I am on my way.”

“What?” Carter asked. Lee could hear some shifting and then the sudden heavy, panicked breaths as Carter slowly began to realize his predicament. “What the hell? Lee, what the hell is going on? Where am I? Am-am I in a box? Is this a coffin?” His voice reached an octave just below a shriek.

“I’m sorry,” Lee begged. Pounding from Carter’s side of the call told Lee the trapped man was testing the strength of his wooden prison. “I thought you would be safe in the hospital. But the kidnapper took you. I should have been there to protect you.”

“Oh God. Please tell me I’m not buried. Please, please tell me there is not six feet of Goddamned dirt above me because I swear to God-” He stopped short to take in a calming breath, but Lee could hear the shuddering in his lungs. “You’ve got to get me out of here, Lee. I can’t do this. I don’t do small spaces like this. I never told you but please, please get me out of here.”

“I’m coming, Carter. I am on my way. I promise I will get you out.”

“How the hell did I get here? The last thing I remember-” he paused and then exclaimed, “Gilly-”

“She is safe. No one will come after her again. I took care of the kidnapper. And I know who killed Galina and Nadia.”

“What?” Carter exclaimed, the panic ebbing slightly to give way to indignation. “You solved the whole case without me? The hell Lee? I get my ass damn near blown up trying to save someone and you go and solve the whole damn thing while I’m out? In addition to getting buried Goddamned alive!”

“Not entirely. There are still parts that are unclear. Nadia’s son is-was involved.”

“Her son? What son? Galina had a son.”

“He was also Nadia’s son.”

“Wha-how? And what did the Dragon want with him?”

Lee rubbed the back of his hand against his sweating forehead. The air was stuffy and humid with dust and a strong scent of chemicals that Lee did not want to know the origin off. “Things have gotten complicated since you were attacked. I don’t have all the answers yet but I will explain to you all that I know when I find you.”

“And how are you going to accomplish that, Indiana Jones?”  

Lee actually did get that reference. “There is a GPS somewhere where you are. I am tracking you with Andrei’s phone.”

“Who?”

“The kidnapper.”

Carter let out a loud and aggravated groan before he banged against the wood again. “This cannot be happening right now.”

The GPS suddenly told Lee to take a right turn, but there was no entrance. He stopped and regarded the tiled wall blocking his path. The tunnel continued on, but the GPS was telling him to go where he couldn’t.

“Carter, hold on one moment.”

“Oh just try and stop me from taking off,” Carter replied sarcastically.

Lee put down the phone and placed the pen light in his mouth, shinning the beam along the grimy tile. He crouched down low and ran his hands along the wall, allowing his fingers to search for the entrance to this hidden path.

Eventually his right hand slid inside a small crevice that, after Lee tugged a bit, began to slide a portion of the wall back. Pulling harder, Lee was greeted with a dark, small opening.

Lee grabbed the phone and, keeping the light in his mouth, he began crawling forward. Another tunnel, this one made of dirt, led Lee off the beaten path. When he reached the end, he found himself faced with another set of tunnels, these more primitive, dark and without any other light besides the one he held.

“Lee?” Carter called out. “You still there buddy?”

Lee turned the phone to speaker and answered, “Yes. I am getting closer.” He hopped. He glanced down at the GPS and wiping away more dirt and sweat from his eyes, continued on. This tunnel seemed to be unfinished, as the ground was made of dirt and where the previous tunnel had white tile on the side, this tunnel had wooden beams and rocks maintaining its structure.

“Okay. Okay that’s good. You just keep doing your thing there, Lee.”

Lee didn’t miss how Carter started to sound panicked again. He racked his mind to try and come up with some way to distract Carter.

“Did I ever tell you I wanted to be a ballerina?” For a moment Lee couldn’t believe he had blurted that out. It was all he could come up with as he traversed into the dark.

Carter let out a half laugh that didn’t hide the fearful sob behind it. “I think if you told me that I wouldn’t of ever forgotten it. Or let you forget it either.”

Lee looked at his phone to make sure he was following the directions correctly. “I was ten and I went to see a ballet called _The Red Poppy_ with my mother. My father was supposed to take her for her birthday but…work got in the way.”

Carter took in another deep, calming breath, but Lee could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke. “I’m just imagining a pint-sized you in a little suit being dragged to a theater to watch a bunch of skinny-ass women bounce all over the damn place.”

Lee looked down at the phone. He was getting close. “I was happy to go. My mother adored everything about music and dancing. Mostly because she wasn’t any good at either one, so it was nice to watch. And I didn’t really understand it until she took me. I liked the movements. The flow of the twists and turns their bodies made. I wanted to do it myself.”

“Considering you’re now an ass kicking ninja instead of dancing around in tights I have a feeling your parents didn’t share in your enthusiasm.”

“I’m not a ninja,” Lee said automatically. “But you’re right. My mother rightly knew my father would have disapproved, and instead thought it would be better for Kim and I to learn self-defense rather than dancing. I joined a local kwoon and forgot about it until the other night.”

“What reminded you?” Carter asked. “The case?”

“Yes. But not right away. I had a dream. I remembered the theater, and the bright costumes. I remembered how sad my mother was when my father chose his work over her, and how happy she was when I went with her to the show.”

“Somehow you being a momma’s boy doesn’t surprise me,” Carter joked as he took in a few shallowed breaths. “I’ve never even met my own mother. Have no idea who she is or why she didn’t want me.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Though I guess, if you consider the statistics of a black orphan, the most likely answer is pretty obvious.”

“That is her loss,” Lee said and meant it. 

“I never really cared that much about not having a ma, once I got older. Grandma was good to me, you know? So, she kinda filled that void.” Carter’s rambling told Lee that it was to help himself calm down. It seemed to be working. “And I got people in my life now. Didi, Gerald, you especially.”

“You are important to me too, Carter.” Lee said. “Even if you drive me crazy every day.”

Carter was quiet so long Lee nearly said his name. But Carter suddenly spoke. “Any chance you’re getting closer to getting me out of here partner? I don’t really remember everything that happened but my left arm’s pinned in a sling so I don’t think I’ll to be able to pull a Kill Bill down here.”

“A what?” Lee asked.

Silence greeted him again, this time much longer. Lee stopped short and in a panic began to exclaim, “Carter? Carter please speak to me.”

“Sorry,” Carter said, his voice strained.

Lee breathed out in relief and continued walking, this time much faster.

“Air’s getting a little thin in here.”

“I’m getting close. I promise.”

“Lee-” Carter began but Lee cut him off. “Save your breath. You need it.”

Carter ignored Lee’s plea. “I don’t want you to blame yourself if you don’t make it. I know you’re trying your best-”

“Stop. You are speaking like an idiot, Carter.”

“Insulting a dying man, bro?” Carter tried to joke through small gasps. “That’s pretty low.”

“You’re not going to die,” Lee growled and broke out into a full out run, tired of waiting. “Didi would never let me hear the end of it.”

“She’s a great partner, Lee. But,” Carter paused to try and draw in another breath. “You’re the best partner I’ve ever had. Shit, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“I’m not going to lose you,” Lee said as he came to a split in the tunnels. He was close, nearly right on top of Carter. “I refuse to let that happen.”

“You’ll be okay, brother. You’ll find another partner-”

“No. I don’t want another partner,” Lee panted as he whirled around, desperate for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The tunnel was sweltering from L.A.’s humidity and he could feel the sweat from his run sticking to his back. “I want you, Carter. Only you.”

“Lee-”

“I need you, alright?” Lee closed his eyes to center himself. Fear and desperation were twisting his thoughts and he needed to focus on finding his friend. “I-I’m-” he gritted his teeth to keep his body from trembling. “I have feelings-” He stopped and silently berated himself for his cowardice. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t say it. Even now he couldn’t say the words out loud.

Carter let out a half laugh and half sob as he whispered weakly, “You have feelings?” His voice croaked with emotion and Lee could almost see the tears leaking out of the corners of Carter’s eyes.

“Yes,” Lee swallowed and gathered up all his courage. “And I know it is impossible. I know that. Okay? But I want you to tell that to my face. Because I’m close to you I just do not-” He held out the pen next to the phone to let the light shine around the tunnel he was in. According to the map Carter should be buried somewhere nearby.

“Lee. Lee!” Carter gasped out from the phone. Lee half listened as he tried to see through the darkness. “Listen to me. It’s not-”

But Carter’s words faded away. Beeping echoed from the phone and he turned to look at it just as the screen flickered once before it flashed and then died.

“No.” Lee spun around. “No. No!” He whacked the phone a few times. The, in the distance he heard a voice calling his name.

“Carter?” He yelled and followed the direction of the voice. He could have sworn it sounded female but he still followed the voice until he saw it. In the corner of a small alcove exactly what he’d been searching for.

A perfect rectangle of fresh, upturned earth.

“I found you!” Lee yelled as he dashed over to the hole and saw down below a long pine box.

“Can you hear me above you?” Lee said and his answer was a soft pounding from inside.

“Yes,” Lee practically panted in relief as he shoved the phone into his pocket and jumped down onto the box. He grabbed the side of the wood and tried to pry it open but it wouldn’t budge.

“No. No, no please no,” Lee begged and ran his hands through his hair in desperation. His partner needed air as soon as possible and he didn’t have time to call for backup. Suddenly he had an idea.

He walked backwards until his lower back hit packed earth then yelled, “Carter, can you roll all the way over to the left side of the box? Get completely onto your side? Knock twice if you can.”

He pulled out his phone and whacked it a few more times. No luck. He pulled the penlight back out of his pocket. It was barely visible in the darkness, but it was enough.

He heard some slow shuffling and the box shift and then he heard two soft knocks.

“Don’t move.” Lee wasted no time. He switched the pen into his left hand and with that low light used his right hand to unholster the gun at his side. With precision and ease he shot three bullets into the right side of the wood. The pine splintered as the rounds made their marks, leaving perfect air holes in their wake.

Lee holstered the gun and took a knee onto the wood. “Carter?” He asked and could hear Carter dragging much needed fresh oxygen into his lungs. “Carter, are you alright?”

“You are the most amazing man alive,” Lee could hear Carter say in a rushed breath that told him his plan worked.

Relieved, Lee said, “I’ll be right back,” and climbed out of the hole. He looked around until he found the tools Andrei had left behind. Among them was what he was hoping to find: a crowbar.

He laid the pen down at an angle to give him some light before he jumped back down on top of the box, a cloud of dust swirled around where his feet landed. He jammed the crowbar between the edge of the top that was screwed shut. Using every bit of strength he had he pulled back. It took a few tries before he could hear Carter grunting beneath him, trying to push the top off as well. After a few minutes he felt the top separate from one of the screws. He moved down on the box and worked the bottom side until it popped free as well.

He tossed the crowbar aside and using his free hands he grabbed the loosened edge and pulled again. For a moment he thought it wouldn’t budge, but from below he felt Carter give the solid wood a series of sharp kicks that gave it the jolt it needed to loosen. His hands ached but he was able to pull it back enough to step on the other side and open it even more.

He held the top with one hand and with his free hand he reached down into the slightly illuminated box and felt Carter grasp his hand. In slow movements that looked all too painful Carter pushed himself up and out of the box while Lee pulled the shaking man to his side.

Carter grasped onto him like a lifeline and though Lee never wanted to let him go, he helped him climb up and out of the hole. He didn’t make his way up until Carter was safely out first. He could hear the dirt make soft plodding sounds as it hit the inside of the box.

When they both were up and on the ledge of the hole Lee went to grab the flashlight to use its light to check over Carter’s injuries, but he was barely able to move an inch before he felt Carter slide a hand around his waist and use what free range he had with his injured hand wrapped in a thick cast to grasp the lapel of his jacket and pull him in close. Carter shamelessly buried his face into Lee’s shoulder and Lee could hear from quiet gasps coming out of Carter’s mouth and nose that he was trying to calm himself down. Trying to keep any lingering panic at bay, though it was easy to imagine it was trying to claw its way out.

“You’re alright,” Lee muttered as he reciprocated the embrace. He slid his arm around Carter’s back and tentatively ran a comforting hand along his shaking head. He tried not feel any fondness in how nice it felt run his palm along the warm, coarse hair in an intimate way.

Slowly, Carter pulled back and through the low light in the tunnel Lee caught Carter’s eyes as they roamed over him. Heavy silence filled with a million unsaid words permeated the air between them like static and it was all Lee could do to not run his shaking fingers along Carter’s lips and whisper quiet words of comfort.

Carter seemed calmer as he let out a long and shaky breath before he shifted impossibly closer and slid his free hand up the back of Lee’s neck. He curled his fingers along the base of Lee’s skull where a mesh of hair matted from dirt and sweat had gathered and gently pulled him forward so that their foreheads were touching. The unexpected closeness of this intimate act left Lee suddenly panicked.

“So,” Carter breathed out all too casually, then stopped to clear his throat as emotion clogged it once again. “You said something about feelings?” He tried for a smile but it quickly faded into nervousness.

Lee drew in a shuddering, surprised breath and went to place his hand on the dirt to push himself away. Instead it landed on Carter’s leg and with a quick gasp he pulled his hand back like it had been scorched.

“This-this isn’t the time-” Lee tried but Carter shushed him.

“Lee,” Carter demanded and tightened his fingers so that his partner couldn’t move away. “I remember you kissing my forehead after you dragged me out of my poor car.” He paused as Lee swallowed down a shaky breath. “You kissed my fingers. You held me. You just told me you needed me.”  

Lee could only shake his head and tear his eyes from Carter’s pleading ones. He couldn’t take the chance that he would lose the most important thing in his life. He just couldn’t do it.

But Carter refused to be deterred. Though his hand was caked in dirt and splinters he let go of Lee’s hair and brought it down so he could gently cup Lee’s face.

“Lee, today I’ve totaled my car, got shot at, blown up and now buried alive. If anything good is about to come from this being probably the worst day of my life, can it just, for the love of God, please be that you’re feeling me like I’m feeling you so I can finally just kiss you?”

A tumultuous stream of unintelligent words tumbled out Lee’s mouth as some kind of half denial, half answer to Carter’s life altering question. He could feel the stupid words battering against his defenses in the worst of ways.

But Carter simply smiled fondly at his surprised and stuttering friend before he whispered, “I think I’ll take that as a yes.” Without waiting a moment more he closed the last few unnecessary inches that existed between them to place his lips upon the man who had captured his heart.

The kiss was unbearably soft; gentle in a way Lee never would have thought Carter capable of. It was a simple meeting of the lips that gave the clear message that this is what Carter wanted, but Lee was free to move away if he so choose.

A part of Lee’s mind began to sound off alarm bells, warning him that this was a bad idea; that the fallout of these actions were limitless and what he could lose wasn’t worth what he could gain. But Carter, on some level, wanted him the same as he did, and he would be fooling only himself if he tried to pretend he could deny himself being with the man he so desperately needed.

As Lee took his few moments to come to terms with what was happening, Carter interpreted it as disinterest, so he began to move away. When Lee realized what Carter was doing he quickly grabbed his shoulders to hold him still.

Carter gave him a questioning look as Lee brought up trembling fingers to run along the other man’s smooth lips. They shared a single breath, then Lee couldn’t stop himself before he pulled Carter against him once more.

Lee moaned wantonly in Carter’s mouth, a desperate noise that echoed off the dark walls around them, and strove to put forth all the passion for this man he’d hidden for so long. It had been a long time since he’d been intimate with another person, but every act, every touch with Carter felt as natural as breathing.

After a few moments Carter broke away, his breathing still unsteady and deep. Lee pressed his forehead back against Carter’s and brought his hands up to cradle his neck. Being able to touch Carter in such an intimate way after wanting to for so long made his heart beat against his chest like a caged lion.

“I like you,” Lee whispered, his lips just barely brushing against Carter’s. He wanted to solidify that this was what he wanted. That Carter wasn’t taking an unwanted liberty against him.

“Never would have guessed,” Carter chuckled as he spoke and kissed Lee again. 

The thought of ever leaving this place barely graced Lee’s mind. He wanted to stay there, locked in Carter’s warm embrace for as long as he could to make these beautiful moments last. But those warning bells had now changed their tune and redirected their efforts into reminding Lee that Carter needed to get back to the hospital, preferably sooner than later.

Lee pulled away from the kiss, smiling when Carter frowned and tried to follow his lips. Instead Lee lifted his hand and placed a thumb gently along Carter’s pout.

“I need to get you out of here,” Lee said softly. “You are still hurt.”

Carter sighed and brought his hand up to wrap around Lee’s to draw his long fingers closer to his mouth so he could kiss them in lieu of Lee’s currently banned lips. “In a minute,” he quietly argued which, Lee knew, was just for the sake of arguing.

“No,” Lee said and jumped to his feet. “We need to get going. You were in the hospital when Ianov took you and that’s where you need to return.” He curled his trapped hand around Carter’s and tugged the man to stand, using his free arm to wrap around Carter’s waist so he wouldn’t fall over.

Carter grunted painfully as he moved. He could barely stand upright but he was able to walk well enough as long as he had Lee to lean upon for support. “Just because you saved my life, again, doesn’t mean you get to boss me around anymore than usual.”

“I will be sure to boss you around the appropriate amount as soon as things are back to normal,” Lee said, trying to be jovial despite the nerves swirling in his chest.

“Normal?” Carter snorted. “I have a feeling normal is going to be real different from here on out.”

Lee could only nod.

At his silence, Carter gave Lee a concerned look. “You know this don’t end when we get topside. What just happened here. You know that right?”

Lee didn’t answer as he reached down and grabbed the flashlight, holding it up in front of him to help light the way back to the entrance of the tunnels. The phone may have been dead, but he had a good memory of which paths he took.

“Hold up,” Carter demanded and planted his feet when Lee tried to lead him down a side path. “We aint doing this back and forth thing, Lee. I’m not going back on what just happened here. I don’t want that and I’ll bet my beat up Chenille you don’t either.”

Lee sighed and shook his head. “We should talk about this when you are somewhere safe.” He couldn’t let Carter meet his eyes and have him see the doubt that was in them. “You’ve just been through a serious trauma-”

“Oh hell no.” Carter grabbed Lee’s chin and forced him to look at him. “We are not playing these games. Not you and me. We’ve been through too much to get here and I aint loosing you before I even get you.” Carter pushed himself further upright and kissed Lee once more, his intentions as clear and firm as the lips pressed against him. Lee had to forcefully keep himself from whimpering in need at how good it felt. How much he didn’t want Carter to stop.

When Carter finally pulled back his voice was quiet but unwavering. ”I’d be one thing if you didn’t want me, okay? When I first kissed you, if you said no or you pushed me away, I’d respect that, one hundred percent. Just like I know you’d respect it if I didn’t want you. But the thing is, you do want me. Don’t you, baby?”

Lee sucked in a shuddering breath as a small tendril of lust swirled low in his stomach when Carter whispered that endearment.

“And I want you. Want you so bad it’s killing me. So, I’m not letting you go now, you hear me? I aint playing, Lee. This-” He waved his hand between their two bodies. “This is happening.”

Carter shifted and pushed himself flush against Lee’s side, then dragged his partner’s arm around his waist for leverage before moving them forward down the tunnel. “Now get us the hell out of here so I can get some goddamned pain meds in me. My shoulder hurts like a bitch.”

Lee looked Carter over as he helped him move. So much had just changed in their relationship in just a few short minutes, but at the same time things were exactly they always had been.

Some of the doubt trying to nestle its way into his mind was promptly pushed back for Lee to analyze later. He took a moment to lean over and kiss Carter’s sweaty, dirty temple. “You drive me crazy, you know that?”

“Dude,” Carter huffed out in a small laugh. “When I got both arms working, I’m going to drive you crazy on a whole new level. That right there is a James Carter guarantee.”

Lee rolled his eyes and looked down the tunnel towards their long trek back to the surface. “Onward?”

Carter nodded. “Lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got there! Yay! More to come! :)


	13. Chapter 13

“Lee-”

“No-”

“Lee, I don’t need some bodyguard-”

“I disagree with that.”

“Shut up, Gerald!” Carter exclaimed with annoyance and flopped back onto his hospital bed with an exaggerated huff that made him look like a petulant teen. He didn’t miss the look Lee and Gerald shared as they exchanged silent but mutual exasperation over Carter’s current unpleasant behavior.

Lee leaned against the wall of the hospital room, his fisted hands jammed into his pockets to hide his frustration. Every other moment he had to hold himself back from running a comforting hand along Carter’s bruised skin or rushing over to kiss Carter’s pouting lips. It was torture, but by his partner’s overt theatrics Carter seemed to be suffering the same as him. Neither were ready to out their tentative steps towards a relationship yet until they had everything figured out, but it was tough to keep up the act of friendship when they both knew what they wanted was merely inches away.

Gerald sat in one of the hospital chairs by Carter’s bed, happily sucking down Carter’s Jello while Didi sat on the opposite side with Derek asleep on her lap. There was a calmness in the air that hadn’t been there in the past couple days and Lee could tell everyone was feeling it. Despite Carter’s frustrations, everyone was in a lighter mood now that the mystery was nearly over and Carter was safe. In between doctors, head and body scans, and medical assessments, Lee, Didi, and Gerald filled Carter in on all that he had missed since he was attacked. This also included an update from Captain Cole that Martin Shen was in custody, his interrogation pending until Lee and Carter were ready to move forward. There were still many questions that needed answers, but they could wait until the injured man was better.

Carter, however, did not share that same thought process.

“I can recuperate at home just fine,” Carter whined and shot Lee another pleading look. “All I’m going to do is lay around all night. Can’t a man do that in his own PJs, on his own couch? In front of his own Xbox?”

“Being kidnapped when you have a concussion isn’t exactly doctor recommended,” Didi said with a small laugh. She had both hugged and punched Carter in the arm when they were reunited earlier that evening. “It’s just overnight observation. You’ll live.”

“Still don’t know why I can’t just be observed at home,” Carter muttered, then turned to Lee with an innocent smile. “Lee, if I took you home, you’d keep an eye on me right? Keep me up all night if you had too?”

Lee held back a remark at Carter’s not so hidden innuendo and instead said with slight sarcasm, “Nothing would give me more pleasure.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come back with a change of clothes?” Didi asked Lee, missing Carter’s eyes widening a bit in surprise, and excitement. “You’ve been in those all day and you’re planning on hanging around here all night. Wouldn’t you be a little more comfortable in something fresh? That doesn’t smell like smoke or…is covered in dirt and, you know, Carter’s blood?”

“Or you can go home,” Carter said and Lee turned to meet his partner’s tired eyes. “It’s not like you weren’t in this same spot like two days ago. And didn’t get your ass whooped a couple’a times since. You need your own rest, bro. If I can’t leave then you might as well. I don’t need a babysitter.”

“I believe we’ve already had this conversation,” Lee said and Carter gave him an annoyed look that indicated he was gearing up to restart their argument.

“And I think that’s our cue to take off,” Didi said as she stood and let out a low grunt when she hefted Derek further up on her shoulder. “My baby is getting so big.”

Gerald sucked up the last of his Jello then stood. He placed the empty cup and spoon on the small table by Carter’s bed and then walked around it to take Derek out of Didi’s arms. The small boy curled into Gerald’s neck before he settled back into sleep with a sigh. Gerald just smiled and ran a comforting hand along the boy’s back.

Surprised, Didi turned to Carter and Lee with a raised eyebrow. Carter shrugged back at her and accepted her hug and soft kiss on his cheek. She ran a hand affectionately along his coarse hair. “Don’t make this a habit, but I’m glad to see you made it out pretty okay.”

“Ditto. I’ll see you back at the precinct as soon as I’m up and running.”

“Take your time.” She smile at him and waved to Lee as she walked out the door. “See you at home.”

Lee gave her a half wave back and turned to see Gerald and Carter finishing a one handed hug that was slightly awkward given the small child plastered against Gerald’s shoulder.

“Stop ending up in the hospital cuz. It’s bad for my nerves,” Gerald said.

Carter rolled his eyes. “My bad man. I’ll stop putting myself in dangerous situations to apprehend criminals for the sake of saving innocent civilian lives.”

“S’all I’m saying.” Gerald shrugged, not seeming to catch his cousin’s sarcasm.

“Good night, Gerald,” Lee said and walked over to the chair Didi had vacated to begin his vigil by his partner’s side.

“Night ya’ll,” Gerald called and followed Didi out the door.

When they were alone Carter shut his eyes before he let out a loud sigh as he settled back into the bed. When he opened his eyes again Lee could see the exhaustion he’d been holding back when his family was visiting.

“Are you still feeling any pain?” Lee asked. “I can call the nurse in to increase your painkillers.”

Carter shook his head. “Seriously, Lee. You’ve have a shit day before saving my ass. Again. Go home. Shower. Get some shut eye. I’ll be fine and I’ll see you in the morning.” Now that they were alone, Carter was eager to reinitiate the tentative connection they had established in the tunnels earlier that evening. And he had a feeling, given the nervous looks Lee was shooting him, he was going to have to be the one to start it.

Which was fine by him. Since his right arm was not strapped to a sling, he slid his free hand along the hospital issued white sheets until it reached the edge of the bed and smiled encouragingly.  

With evident relief, Lee took the opening. He reached out and gently placed Carter’s hand between both of his, then rubbed it slowly before opening the dark palm and turning it so he could place a small kiss in the center of it.

When he pulled back he gave Carter an affectionate look. “No.”

“Stubborn Chinaman,” Carter muttered tiredly despite his heart beating at a rapid pace as he watched Lee touch him in a way he’d only ever fantasized about. Never would Carter have imagined the stoic Asian he’d known for so long could be capable of the soft, romantic kisses and touches he was showering over him whenever he had the chance. He couldn’t believe that this was happening between them. It still felt like a dream he was just waiting to wake up from.   

“Do not fall asleep yet.” Lee continued to place small kisses along the tips of Carter’s fingers. “The doctor will be in soon to check you out. Then he will let you know when you can sleep.”

“Gonna have to think of a way to keep me awake then,” Carter said suggestively. He wiggled his eyebrows and sent Lee a sly grin.

“I do not think what you are implying would be appropriate behavior for a hospital room.” Lee laid Carter’s hand back onto the bed and threaded their finger’s together. “And I’m assuming those…activities would ultimately have the opposite result in keeping you awake.”

“Not if we were at my place,” Carter said thoughtfully as multiple erotic scenarios played out in his mind. “We could just indulge in those activities all night long. Wouldn’t be tired if I were, you know, kept occupied.”

“I don’t know if I should be flattered that you think my stamina would allow me to accomplish such a challenge or if I should be worried that you’re just simply delusional.”

“I have a feeling once we get the chance to test that theory I’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Carter said, finishing his sentence with a loud yawn.

“Why don’t we put that thought aside for the moment, and try thinking of some other way to keep you awake for a while?” Lee asked.

“I’m injured, not six years old.” Carter rolled his eyes at how Lee’s tone reminded him of his grandmother.

Lee continued. “How about…we practice some Chinese vocabulary?” He was pleased to get the reaction he expected when Carter blinked in surprise and began to stutter while trying to find an answer.

“How-?”

“Gerald had been given the items from your wrecked car when you were in the hospital for safe keeping. A basic learner’s guide to the Mandarin language on audiobook was mentioned to me when you were getting a CT scan earlier.”     

To Carter’s credit, he managed not to cuss out Gerald’s name for meddling. “I guess considering everything that’s just happened between you and me there’s no point in trying to play it off like it aint a thing.”

“I think,” Lee began, “that it is uncharacteristically sweet of you to want to learn my native language for me.”

Carter tried to sit up straighter in his bed. “You better buckle up, Lee. Cause you’re about to take a ride on Carter’s romance express and at every stop and junction you’re going to learn just how Goddamned sweet I can be when it comes to dating.”

Trying not to guffaw at Carter’s attempts to be smooth, Lee ran a hand over his mouth and covered his oncoming laugh with a cough. But his joy started to fade when doubt began to creep its way back into his mind after Carter said ‘dating’. “Carter, are you sure-”

“ _Dui, wo shi_ ,” Carter said as he anticipated Lee’s question and couldn’t stop himself from giving him a challenging smirk when he correctly said ‘yes I am’ in Chinese.

An unexpected lump of emotion formed in the back of Lee’s throat and his chest swelled with affection at hearing Carter speak Mandarin. He would never have asked his partner to undertake such a challenge, even if they were edging towards becoming romantically involved. But that Carter had taken the time on his own to learn even a few basic words meant more to him than he could ever express. It also told him that, as unbelievable as he once thought, Carter might possibly be serious about pursuing a real relationship with him.

“That’s good,” Lee managed as he swallowed down his emotions. He thought he knew what having a dream come true was like when he became a detective, but knowing that the man he cared for wanted him as well was unlike anything he could ever have hoped for. “That’s really good.”

“I know people in Hong Kong mostly speak Cantonese but I looked online and it said to start with Mandarin since it’s easier.” He paused when he realized he was rambling. “Anyway. What else can you teach me?” He seemed more awake than before so he figured it would good to keep their rhythm going. “I’m ready to learn oh wise master.”

“How about…” Lee considered for a moment what he wanted to say, then decided to have fun with Carter’s interest in learning his language. “How about _wo yao ni_?”

Tentatively, Carter repeated the words in Lee’s accent as best he could. “ _Wo yao ni_.”

A small shiver rolled up Lee’s back as Carter said ‘I want you’.

“What does it mean?” Carter asked Lee excitedly. “Drop your weapon?”

“Not exactly,” Lee said. “Let’s try _tuo diao wo de yifu_.”

The words Carter spoke were still halting but Lee could tell he was slowly getting the hang of the unique pronunciation.

“What did that one mean?”

“Um…it has to do removing garments.” Lee had to shift in his seat to try and subtly adjust himself because hearing Carter say ‘take off my clothes’ was starting to turn him on more than he expected.

Carter looked Lee over as he resettled himself uncomfortably in his seat. “You alright?” Then suddenly it dawned on him what Lee was doing.

“You dawg,” Carter said, impressed. “Getting me to talk all dirty to you on the sly. Damn Lee.”     

Lee gave Carter an embarrassed smile. “Yes.” He opened his mouth to continue, but then paused to consider his next words.

“Lee?” Carter prompted after he didn’t speak for a few moments.

“Are you absolutely sure this is something that you want?” Lee asked again. He needed to know.

When Carter let out a frustrated breath and rolled his eyes to the ceiling Lee gave Carter’s hand a squeeze and continued. “I am serious. Adding a sexual aspect to our relationship could have a negative impact on our personal and professional partnership in the future.” He stopped to let out a sigh. “I do not want to lose you.”

Carter narrowed his eyes at Lee. “Wait. You’re not thinking I only want us to just hook up?”

“I-” Lee began, then faltered.

“Boy, what do I need to do to smack some sense into you? When I said dating I meant dating. I don’t know how you guys do it over in China but here that includes going out, having fun, taking long walks on the beach. Whatever. Every damn thing that is involved with dating, I want to do with you. All the sex and no sex parts.” Carter tugged at Lee’s hand to indicate he wanted the man to come closer. Reluctantly, Lee stood and sat on the side of the bed, still unsure. “So there. Now you know how I feel. I know it’ll be a little weird at first, and we’ve got a lot of things we gotta figure out with our family and work. But, right now, the only question that matters is how do you feel? Do you want that to?”

“I do,” Lee said and shook his head. “But-” 

Carter cut him off. “But nothing. You know what you should teach me in Chinese? I would like for us to date. How do you say that? Because you still seem to have some doubts about this so maybe I’m not translating my intentions good enough in English.”

Lee had a mind to do his own smacking at Carter. “You seem so certain that this will not end poorly.”

“I’m not,” Carter admitted, his voice softening. “I have no clue how this is going to go. I just know I can’t live with myself if I don’t try with you now that I know there’s a chance you want to try too. I care about you, Lee. A whole damn lot. I’ve never met anyone like you before. You’re just-” he paused to search for the words he wanted to say. “You’re so solid. Like, I can count on you. No matter what. I’ve never really had anyone like that before. And I want to be that for you too. So bad.”

There was no denying the truth in Carter’s words. Lee knew he meant all of it, and though he still had some hesitations, his logic was being heavily overridden by his desires. He knew this relationship would need time, and work, but he couldn’t deny that he desperately wanted to try.

Lee reached out to run a knuckle gently along Carter’s forehead. He opened his hand and slid it back to rub Carter’s coarse hair until it came down to rest along Carter’s cheek. Carter watched his movements with trepidation. Lee’s silence after his desperate rant didn’t help ease his mind or his questions.

Then, in answer, Lee leaned forward and brushed their noses together gently. “ _Wo xi huan he ni jiao wang_ ,” he whispered before he captured Carter’s lips in a demanding, passionate kiss. Carter wasted no time in reciprocating. He opened his mouth to allow access to Lee’s demanding tongue, fueling untapped desires eager to be acted upon.          

Carter reached up and laced his fingers through Lee’s hair, adoring how silky smooth the strands were as they threaded between each digit. He curled his hand close and grasped onto Lee with a silent message that he never wanted him to leave.

But Lee did move back, allowing them both to draw in a much needed breath.

“What,” Carter asked in between soft pants. “What did that mean?”

Lee answered with a smile. “It means ‘I would like to date you’.”

Carter grinned back, relief evident in his eyes. “Yeah, you bet your sweet ass you do,” he muttered with some pride, then tugged Lee back down for another kiss before the man could respond.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so, so sorry this took so long to get done. I struggle with writing sex scenes so I apologize if this chapter is all stiff and awkward. Thank you for your patience!

“Didi will be very unhappy with you once she finds out what you did,” Lee said as he hoisted a long black duffle bag higher onto his shoulder. He turned to Carter who was standing beside him. Carter had been cold on the trip over so Lee’s jacket was wrapped around Carter’s shoulders like a blanket and the overwhelming possessiveness he felt at knowing Carter was wearing his clothes surprised him just as much as it excited him.

Carter snorted tiredly at Lee and looked away. Despite Lee’s dress jacket covering his torso down to his hips, the bright blue hospital scrubs he wore underneath were noticeable. “Doc said overnight observation. I stayed overnight. They observed. I’m fine. So, I’m done.”

“You left the hospital against medical advice,” Lee admonished as he unlocked the front door to his friend’s apartment. Carter rolled his eyes and slowly shuffled past, his movements stiff and painfully awkward. He slid off the jacket and flopped onto his couch with a content sigh at being home, his bright white cast a contrast against the black leather beneath him.

When Lee woke this morning, cramped and uncomfortable in the hospital room chair, he saw Carter struggling out of the bed and into a pair of scrubs he requested from one of the nurses, along with the AMA form so he could discharge himself. The nurses, and finally a doctor, attempted to convince him to stay, but Carter wasn’t having it.

“After waking up in a hospital twice and one time buried under the freaking ground, I just want the next time I open my eyes to be in my own home,” Carter had said, and that was his final stance.

Lee knew if the medical experts weren’t going to change his friend’s mind, then he wasn’t going to stand a chance either. So, rather than argue he called a taxi to bring them to Didi’s, who was luckily at work, where he packed the duffle to stay at Carter’s apartment so he could keep an eye on his friend as he continued to heal.

They knew they would have to deal with Shen soon, but Lee wanted to hold it off a little while longer. Carter still seemed exhausted and Lee wouldn’t risk his partner getting hurt even more.

After he dropped his duffle onto the floor by the door Lee walked over to Carter to hold out a hand. “You should take a shower.” Carter eyed him like he was about to protest, but instead grabbed Lee’s hand to be pulled back up to stand.

“I will get some food for us. Then you should rest some more,” Lee said. He went to pull his hand away but Carter took the opportunity to instead tug him in closer so that their bodies could become flush together. Since he left the hospital he had been taking every opportunity he could get to touch Lee and it was driving them both crazy with desire.

“I think a shower is a good idea,” Carter said huskily. “And I think you should join me.”

Lee blinked and pushed back a small tendril of lust that curled in his abdomen at Carter’s tone and words. “You are still injured,” he tried to remain firm but the image of a wet Carter in his arms made his resistance weak. They hadn’t done more besides the occasional exchange of soft or heated kisses, and in Carter’s case grabbing Lee’s ass whenever he had the chance, and now that they were close to the opportunity to do more, it was hard to continue finding reasons to put it off.

And Carter could see right through his protest. “Not too injured to do this though.” He pressed his mouth gently against Lee’s neck to softly place kisses along the side and towards the throat.

The warm lips above his skin made his head spin with a pulsing want. “Carter,” Lee breathed out as he felt himself begin to warm up. He couldn’t stop a low grunt of pleasure and grabbed tightly onto Carter’s arm. “I am still very dirty.”

“Yeah baby. Yeah you are,” Carter moaned and worked a direct path up Lee’s jaw to his parted lips. “Oh my God, you have got to say the word dirty again. That was amazing. Please.” Once again Carter’s hand found its way onto Lee’s ass, giving it a quick squeeze.

Lee huffed out a laugh and shook himself back to reality before taking a stepped back. “Let’s save that for when we’re not still covered in filth and blood and you have something more in your stomach than Jello.” He had tried to clean himself up the best he could when he was at the hospital the night before, but he needed a shower as much as Carter did.   

Carter, however, had no interest in being deterred. Once again he moved into the open space Lee had created and slid his arms around his back to pull him in close. “Don’t want to wait anymore,” Carter whispered as he buried his face into Lee’s shoulder. “Been wanting you since forever.”

Lee had to squeeze his eyes shut when he felt Carter’s hardness through his scrubs brush against him. There was nothing he wanted more than to push Carter onto the couch and kiss him senseless as he undressed him, getting his own access to Carter’s perfect ass. 

He embraced Carter back, bringing his hands up to cup his lover’s face so he could rest their foreheads together. “If-if we’re going to do this then I want us to take our time. And enjoy it.” He let out a small laugh. “I do not want you passing out on me during the best parts from pain or starvation.”

Carter let out a breath to calm himself. “Man, you have the restraint of a saint.”

“I would not say that at all,” Lee said as he let go of Carter. “It is very difficult to not follow your lead right now.” He lifted his hands to run them through his hair and took a very big step back.

Chuckling, Carter waited until Lee’s eyes were back on him, then he slowly and seductively slid his shirt off. The look Lee gave him told him he was pushing his luck.

“You are a jerk, Carter,” Lee said and walked towards the front door to retrieve his belongings as something to do with his hands that didn’t involve running them all over Carter’s body.

“Can’t help it if I’m naturally irresistible,” Carter shrugged, then gradually turned it into a stretch as he raised his arms above his head to show off his sculpted abs and muscled arms.

Lee hefted his duffle bag over his shoulder and said, “You are not as charming as you think you are.”

Carter winked before he left the room to head inside the bathroom. “Yes I am.”

When the door shut behind him, Lee said a silent prayer asking for restraint from barging in there to finish what Carter started.

 _Soon_ , Lee promised himself as he tossed his duffle onto the couch and grabbed his phone out of his back pocket. When he heard the water start he repeated his promise.

 _Soon_.

* * *

 

As Lee walked out of Carter’s bedroom, comfortably dressed in grey sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt, he ran a towel through his hair to dry it. He was unsurprised to see Carter passed out on the couch, the box of pizza Lee had ordered half empty on the coffee table in front of him.

The TV was tuned to the NFL network where it portrayed the highlights from the recent football match between the new LA Rams and the New England Patriots. The light from the big-screen illuminated the room as the Rams lost the game to the east coast team.

Lee walked over and grabbed a blanket resting on a recliner that matched the couch. He shook it out before laying it over Carter, careful not to wake him up. Earlier, when Carter had came out of his shower, before taking his own Lee had forced him to down a couple painkillers before he ate. He was pleased to see they were working.

For a moment Lee looked over Carter’s face, peacefully content despite all the misery they had faced over the past few days. The nightmares, they would come. They always did. But for now the pills or denial were holding them off. For a while at least.

He ran a finger barely touching skin down Carter’s cheek and thought about what would happen when he awoke. He’d never been with a man before. Women yes, and some of those relationships were more emotionally intimate than others, but where he was heading with Carter was completely new territory for him in every way.

He walked away from Carter with a small, affectionate smile and grabbed the pizza box. When he headed towards the fridge he stopped when he saw his jacket hanging off the chair by the kitchen table. He placed the box on the table before reaching into his jacket’s pocket. Slowly, he pulled out the red envelope that turned the investigation around.

That helped him save Carter.

Lee wondered when he would hear from his sister again. He thought about what her letter said, and he hoped that they would one day be able to cross that bridge to become a family again. But, he also knew that he’d be kidding himself if he didn’t think that this new development with Carter and their relationship would have any effect on that progress in the future. He didn’t know where his sister would stand with his sexuality, but considering his parent’s, and his country’s, perspective on it, it didn’t look promising.

He could always be wrong though. At least he hoped.

“Lee?”

He looked up and saw Carter walking towards him, rubbing his eye and yawning loudly. “You alright?”

Carter frowned when he saw the red envelope in his hands. “That the letter from Kim?”

Lee nodded and let Carter pluck it from his hands. For a moment he was surprised by how fine he was to share his sister’s note with Carter. He grabbed the pizza box and put it into the fridge.

“Look, I appreciate her doing us a solid like that. Don’t know if we would of figured out this mess without her,” Carter said and handed the envelope back to Lee after he read it. Lee took it, but didn’t miss the hesitating look on Carter’s face.

“But…?” Lee prompted when Carter paused.

“But,” Carter tried and huffed out a breath. “I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“Why do you think that I will get hurt again?” Lee asked.

“Because you still look like that whenever you talk about her,” Carter said, his voice edging towards frustration.

Lee looked up at Carter and was surprised to see his friend’s eyes blazing with anger. “Carter?”  

Carter looked away and ran a hand over his mouth as if he were blocking the words he wanted to say from getting out. Instead he let out a long sigh and shook his head.   

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “It’s not something worth getting into now.”

Lee nodded and turned to place the letter on the kitchen counter. He didn’t want to think or talk about Kim for a while either. Their relationship was still a wound that needed more time to heal and rebuilding their bridge would accurately need one piece of lumber at a time.

When he turned back to ask Carter if he needed any more painkillers, he saw that Carter had closed the distance between the two of them, suddenly inches in front of him.

“Carter-” Lee began then stopped when Carter took one more stepped forward to place a hand on Lee’s hip.

Carter remained silent, letting the warmth from his firm grip translate his silent request. There was no mistaking what he was asking as his eyes roamed over Lee’s face, coming to a rest on his lips.

Nerves began to tumble low in Lee’s stomach as he swallowed thickly. If he asked to wait, he knew Carter would respect his request. There was nothing wrong with taking things slow, especially when they had so much at stake. Despite his earlier eagerness, Lee knew Carter would be content with whatever he was willing to give.

But Lee would be lying if he said he didn’t want to just tear Carter’s clothes off and live out every dirty thought he’d ever had involving his partner.

With a smile he placed his own hand over Carter’s and laced their fingers together. Carter raised an eyebrow in question, but Lee simply took a step to the side, then began walking towards bedroom, tugging the man behind him to follow.

“Oh thank God,” Lee heard Carter breathe out and laughed.

* * *

 

Carter followed Lee’s lead into his Spartan-like room. He was never much for decoration. Having grown up in a group home the more personal items you acquired equaled a greater possibility that someone else would just walk off with them, so sparse living had become his style. His bed was unmade and the dresser and closet on the other side of the room were a bit messy but he blamed that on not being around much the past couple days. The shades were drawn down low but the sun streaked in through the slits in the blinds, making long lines along the wall that gave them enough light to see without turning on a lamp.

When Lee walked inside he turned to Carter and wasted no time in pulling him close to devour his mouth in a deep kiss. Carter reciprocated just as eagerly. He felt exhausted but wasn’t about to let that stop him from finally making this fantasy a long waited-for reality.

Suddenly, Lee pulled back and said, “I have a confession to make.”

“Whatever it is I forgive you,” Carter said and slid his hands over Lee’s butt to press their bodies together. He heart stuttered when he felt Lee’s hardness against his hips and forced himself not to drop to his knees right there. There was no way he was going to rush though their first time.

He kissed Lee once more, swiping his tongue inside, then used his friend’s distraction to step forward and push him onto his bed.

But Lee wouldn’t be deterred. Looking up at Carter he sat up onto his elbows and then held a hand up to place it against his chest before the other man could crawl on top of him. “I’ve never done this before,” he said in a rushed breath.

Carter paused and had to shake his head a bit to clear his mind of the lust he was slowly sinking into before Lee’s words could make sense.

“Oh. Okay. So, um. So, you’re a virgin…?” Carter asked cautiously. He hadn’t been expecting that. Lee was an extremely attractive man and even though he had never mentioned anything about previous lovers before, Carter had always assumed he was just private about those things. But maybe sex before marriage wasn’t a thing in China-

“What?” Lee exclaimed indignantly, interrupting Carter’s train of thought. “What? No. I am not a virgin. Well,” he swallowed, and it showed he was slightly uncomfortable discussing his past relationships right before starting a new one with Carter. “I’ve been with women before. But not…” his words faltered as he gestured to the small empty space between them.

“Oh. Oh! Okay,” Carter said and let out a long breath. “That’s perf-okay. Yeah. Yeah, we should uh, probably talk about this before we do anything.” He swallowed and reached down to adjust himself. He was painfully hard and desperate to just dive in, but he wouldn’t move forward until he was sure Lee was comfortable.

Carter saw Lee watching him touch himself and then dragged his eyes back up to meet his. There was no mistaking the desperate lust pulsating there. The look Carter saw in them indicated the last thing he wanted to do was talk.

“Or,” Lee continued tentatively, “we can just wing it?”

“Sounds good to me,” Carter answered quickly and launched himself back on top of Lee. He devoured Lee’s mouth below his, drinking in every ounce of the taste on hips lips.

Lee kissed him back with abandon, shutting down every other thought in his mind besides how fantastic every touch and caress Carter laid upon his body felt.

Carter sat back onto Lee’s hips and straightened so he could slide his white t-shirt off, tossing it onto the floor. The white contrast of the cast on Carter’s arm against his dark skin sent shivers along Lee’s back. He reached up and caressed a hand along Carter’s abs, then followed a gentle path that rose up and over to Carter’s right pec. He sat up and brought his lips to the dark nub, sucking and licking it until it became erect in his mouth.

Carter slid his hand into Lee’s dark locks, grasping him gently as his mouth fell open, panting with pleasure. “That’s it baby,” Carter whispered huskily. “Just like that.”

He thought he was hard before but when Lee moved onto his left nipple to continue his work Carter’s head rolled back in need. Lee’s long fingers played with the edge of Carter’s sweatpants, dipping into the top teasingly.     

“You say you haven’t been with a dude before,” Carter panted. “But you sure as hell know how to get my engine going.”

“Tell me if I do something you do not like,” Lee said and began working his way from Carter’s chest up to his neck, leaving marks of affection in every kiss.

“I have a feeling we’ll be okay on that front,” Carter said before he pulled back a fraction so he could use his grip in Lee’s hair to tug the man forward into another kiss.

Lee happily responded as he slid his hands up Carter’s back, then dragged them softly down again to rest onto his hips. He loved how it felt to have free reign over Carter’s body.

Carter pulled back and smiled, then gently pushed Lee away a fraction so he could grasp onto the bottom of his shirt. “You’ve got too much clothing on. Let’s fix that huh?”

However, Lee quickly grabbed Carter’s hands and stilled him. “Um-” he began, then hesitated.

“Oh my God,” Carter exclaimed, surprised at Lee’s sudden embarrassment. “Do not tell me you think you’re fat or something. You’ve got the body of a Greek god with the sexiest Asian face.” He paused and tilted his head to the side. “Sorry if that was kinda racist.”

“I know I am not fat,” Lee said with a frown and a roll of his eyes at Carter’s comment. “I just, I wanted to warn you now before you saw something you didn’t like.”

That got Carter to pause. Lee was not only a dedicated fighter but he had been on the police force for nearly as long as Carter had been. There could be a chance he had some marks or scars he was embarrassed about.   

“Baby,” Carter said and placed both his hands on Lee’s shoulders and rubbed them comfortingly. “Whatever you’ve got under there, I don’t care okay?” He slid a finger along Lee’s perfectly toned chest until it reached the hem of his shirt and then hooked it under to give it a small tug upwards. “Seen my fair share of scars or worse being on the force, you know. And Lord knows I’ve got a few just from growing up with Gerald. The crap he put me through, man-”

But Lee was shaking his head. He bit his lip nervously, which was entirely uncharacteristic of him, then said, “Some of the women I’ve…been with…before. They’ve made comments about how I look naked. So,” he paused to blow out a breath. “I just wanted to give you a fair warning.”

“How you look?” Carter asked, lifting an eyebrow suspiciously. “Whatchu got under there? Tentacles?”

“I’m…bulkier than what you would normally see. More muscular. Because of my dedication to kung fu and also I’ve had some free time since finding Kim so I’ve been working out more. I haven’t been with anyone since moving to America, and I know I’m even bigger now. But back home a few of the women before told me it was…intimidating?”

Carter’s mouth fell open. “Are you trying to tell me that I might be put off by how incredibly in shape you are? You think I’m going to be intimidated by your hotness? By you?”

“I-” Lee tried again but Carter shook his head and interrupted.

“Lee, take off the damn shirt!”

With an annoyed huff Lee slid off his white t-shirt and after he tossed it off the bed he defiantly met Carter’s eyes, though the slightest hint of red touched his cheeks.

Carter immediately began touching him. There was no way he could keep his hands from running gentle strokes along the surprising soft white skin he was mapping out below his fingertips. Even with the fading bruises left over from the past few days dotting his body like a broken canvas, he could tell Lee had indeed bulked out more, though Carter hadn’t noticed since it was well hidden under the layered suits Lee religiously wore. Each muscle and tendon strained in perfection under Carter’s hands, and while he would bet his beat up car he would find Lee attractive no matter what body type, he had to admit feeling Lee’s strong arms around him was undeniably sexy.

“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Carter said, grasping Lee’s chin with a hand to bring him in for a firm, unyielding kiss.

Lee squeezed his eyes shut when Carter spoke, unable to take the emotions that surged through him as Carter assuaged his fears with those uncharacteristically sweet words. Carter could swear he felt Lee’s lips tremble a bit after they touched. But when he pulled back Lee was breathing softly, his eyes alit again with lust.

Carter reached up and grasped Lee’s left nipple, and as he gave it a gentle squeeze he whispered, “You ready to get this show going?”

Lee could only nod and buck his hips up in need, his mouth hanging open with a gasp as Carter opened up his hand and ran his palm slowly along Lee’s abs until they reached his member straining against his grey sweatpants.

With painfully gentle movements Carter pressed his hand against Lee and began to rub, feeling the man harden even more under his touch. His body ached to have Lee more than any person he’d ever been with.

“Since this is your first time, I’ma do you a solid and tell you what’s going to happen okay? I had no clue what to do my first time with a guy, so I want to make this as simple and enjoyable as possible for you. That alright?”

Lee nodded and let out a small, chocked sob of need in between sucking in air through his nose. He couldn’t ever remember being so turned on before. He bucked his hips to match the rhythm Carter had set, rubbing him through the thin fabric.

“When you’re ready, I’m going to take off your pants, okay?” Carter asked. When Lee nodded again he continued. “After that I’m going to go down on you for a while.” He watched as Lee let out a desperate moan and grasp the bedsheets so hard his knuckles turned pink with strain.

“Then I need to stretch myself out a bit, because I’m going to ride you so nice and slow you’ll be begging me in every language you know to make you come. It’ll be so good baby.” He stopped to slide his hands up to Lee’s pants and began to tug them down. “I’m gonna make you feel so good you’ll never want anyone else. I swear.”

Though shaky gasps Lee whispered, “I don’t want anyone else, James. I am only going to want you.” He lifted his hips to allow Carter to finish undressing him, then grasped Carter’s arms and tugged him up towards his body so he could grasp the back of Carter’s head and smother him in a bruising, desperate kiss.

Carter’s insides melted at Lee’s words. He didn’t realize how insecure he was about losing Lee before he’d even had him until he spoke. He swore he would do his absolute best to never give Lee a reason to leave him. He’d hold onto him with everything he had until the day he died.

When Lee pulled back from the kiss he tracked Carter’s lips with his fingers and asked, “Is that alright? That I call you James. When we’re here…doing this?”

“S’long as I can call you Jon? Or Jonathan?”

Lee nodded, his eyes showing relief. “This will feel good for you as well, right? The things you said you will do?”   

Carter nodded, his voice low and gravelly with lust as he answered, “I’ll take care of everything, baby. All you got to do is just lay there and enjoy the show.” He got on his hands and knees and crawled over until he was on top of Lee’s body.

“I do not want you to be…unsatisfied,” Lee gasped as Carter began a trail of kisses on his chest, taking a southern path.

“Oh, baby,” Carter whispered and darted out his tongue to dip into Lee’s belly button. He couldn’t suppress a smile when Lee shuddered and let out a whimpered gasp. “By the end of tonight I guarantee we will both be very, very satisfied.”

When he finally reached his destination he took a moment to drink in the sight of Lee’s hardened member. Long and perfect, he wrapped his dark hand around it and loved the contrast of their skin colors. He loved the gasping, needy noises Lee didn’t even realize he was making as he slid his hand up and down the soft flesh.

“Carter,” Lee said. “Please.”

“Begging already?” He teased and slowed his stroking so he could adjust his body into a comfortable position between Lee’s legs. He locked eyes with Lee and then placed his hands firmly on Lee’s thighs before he pushed them apart. Lee’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously, but he said nothing. Taking that as silent approval, Carter then bent forward and, using his tongue, he licked a long stripe up the side of Lee’s member.       

Lee moaned encouragingly and Carter could feel his lover’s hips tense as he tried to keep himself from bucking up for more. He smiled and gently held Lee down, rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs into the soft flesh beneath his palms.

“I’ve got you, baby,” Carter whispered and placed feather soft kisses around Lee’s abdomen before he took him deep into his mouth. Carter had to take a moment to center himself after he became dizzy with the realization that he was finally living out his dream of being with his partner in the way he’d always wanted.

Lee threw his head back and out of his mouth tumbled what Carter assumed were swear words in Cantonese. Carter tried to hold back a triumphant smile so he could focus on stimulating a rhythmic flow to create pleasure with every movement, but the thrill of hearing Lee tumble into ecstasy was too good to ignore.  

“Gonna have to teach me what those mean sometime,” Carter whispered after he lifted his head to take in a breath. Lee just let out a desperate huff for more and fisted the sheets in his trembling hands.

“You can touch me you know,” Carter said. He sat up and reached out to unclench one of Lee’s hands. He kissed the palm and then placed it on his shoulder. He met Lee’s dark eyes heavy with lust and winked before he bent back down and went back to work.

He knew even before he first kissed Lee that he would love how he felt, how he tasted in his mouth. He would love the gratifying sounds Lee would make, and the way he would dig his fingers into Carter’s dark, solid shoulders while his other hand wound around his strong neck, rubbing gently between the skin and coarse hair, encouraging him with a simple touch that every movement he made gave Lee nothing but joy.

All too soon though, Lee suddenly tensed and panted out, “Carter. Ung. Carter I’m-”

Carter remained where he was, and when Lee came with a long, breathless moan he drank in every drop Lee gave without hesitation. He didn’t let go until he heard Lee flop back onto the bed, dragging in ragged breaths as he tried to settle his rapidly beating heart.

Smiling, Carter climbed back up towards Lee and placed a gentle hand on his face. Lee regarded him though tired, half-lidded eyes, and welcomed the soft kiss Carter placed on his forehead.

“Take a breather,” Carter whispered when he pulled back. He ran his thumb along Lee’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.” He couldn’t believe that they had just done that together. It was more than a dream coming true. He couldn’t stop smiling.

By the time Carter had climbed off the bed Lee pushed himself up onto his elbows and after swallowing a couple of times he finally found his voice. “Where are you going?”

Carter turned and reached out to drag his knuckles down Lee’s arm in a soothing manner. He felt like his heart was going to explode with affection for him. “The bathroom. To get ready for the next part.” He placed a knee on the bed and slid his hand into Lee’s hair to pull in him for a mind blowing kiss. When he pulled back he smiled. “Like I said, baby. All you got to do is relax and enjoy the show.”

When he went to move away again, Lee shot out his hand and grasped Carter’s hip. The contrast between the warm skin and the soft material Carter still wore burned beneath his palm. “May-can I help you?”

Carter couldn’t stop his eyebrow from raising. “You don’t got to. Not a lot of guys I’ve been with like doing this part.” He paused and shook his head. “Not that I’ve, you know, been with a ton of guys or anything like that-” He stopped short when Lee raised his own eyebrows back at him. “Shut up. You brought up ex’s too so you got nothing to say.”

Lee smiled at Carter’s rambling and pushed off the bed to stand. He slid his hand into Carter’s and said, “Please show me what to do.” When Carter hesitated Lee continued, “I am hoping that, considering we are dating now, this,” he waved his hand between the two of them, “will be a common thing. I would like to know how to take care of you in this way.”

Carter took a moment to search Lee’s eyes for any hint of uncertainty, but Lee merely kept his smile steady and tilted his head towards the direction of the bathroom. “Not to continuously bring up ex’s, but despite some of my former girlfriends comments on my figure, they had no argument on how I used my hands during our…time together.” His voice grew heavy with lust as he ran his eyes hungrily up and down Carter’s body.

Carter swallowed thickly as Lee’s gaze roamed over him, and he knew Lee was picturing using his hands in a similar manner on him. This was further confirmed when Lee tugged Carter flush against his body and used his free hand cup the back of Carter’s head and devour his mouth once again.

As his senses became flooded with all things Lee, Carter barely registered him pushing them both out of the bedroom towards the bathroom until he heard the light flicker on and the room suddenly become brighter.

“Lee-Jon,” Carter tried again, but Lee was already tugging his pants down almost eagerly to get a look at what Carter had, so far, kept hidden beneath his sweat pants. Carter leaned against the sink in the bathroom and encouragingly slid his hands up and down Lee’s arms.

Carter had been sporting a hard-on since Lee first dragged him into his bedroom, so as he finally became exposed, his member bounced up eagerly against his abdomen, ready for its turn.

As Carter was now beginning to learn, that while Lee hadn’t spoken much during their love making, he wasn’t one to hold back on making some delicious sounding noises. And the low moan of desire that poured out of his mouth as he reached forward to tentatively wrap his hand around Carter’s dark member was no exception.

“Ung. Jonathan,” Carter moaned and bucked into Lee’s grip. He almost fell when he tried to step out of his fallen sweats, but Lee stepped forward to wrap his free hand along Carter’s hip and pull him in close. Carter could feel Lee’s own member, stiff and eager for another round, brush up against his hip. It was dizzying to think about how he was the one to make Lee act like this, to want him like this.

“Is this alright?” Lee asked Carter quietly as he placed soft kisses along his jaw. His hand slowly worked the silky flesh beneath his palm, his other hand sliding down to experimentally touch what hung underneath.

Carter’s head tilted back as pleasure grew steadily in his abdomen, and Lee took this exposure to latch onto Carter’s neck, nipping and kissing every patch of skin he could find.

“Just like that. So good baby,” Carter whispered encouragingly, but then shook his head and suddenly placed a hand on Lee’s wrists. “Wait. Wait.”

Lee stopped and took a step back to regard Carter. He didn’t let go, but stilled his movements to allow Carter a moment to catch his breath.

“Don’t,” he panted and shook his head. “Don’t want to come yet. Want that for when you’re inside me.”

“Then tell me what to do next,” Lee said.  

When Carter didn’t answer Lee took a step in closer, placed his hands on Carter’s hips and rested their foreheads together. He repeated his words in a whisper. “Tell me what to do next.”    

When Lee touched him Carter had to close his eyes and try to hold back the surge of emotions he felt swirling around his chest like a tornado. He knew he could trust Lee with anything, and if this relationship was going to work he knew he would have to open himself to Lee in the same way he expected Lee to open himself back.

Taking in a deep breath Carter said, “Um. Lube. I-uh-we need lube.”

Lee tilted his head back a bit. “Lube?”

Carter wasn’t sure if he just didn’t recognize the word or if he was confused as to why they needed it.

“Uh. Yeah.” Carter blindly slid his hand along the edge of the sink until he felt the handle of a drawer. He opened it up and turned to dig out the small bottle he couldn’t remember the last time it had been used.

Lee plucked the bottle out of his hands with a frown and inspected it curiously.

“So, you know, girls can get themselves slick all on their own. I mean, they can still use this stuff if they want to, but guys, we don’t got a choice.” When Lee’s eyes met his, Carter couldn’t stop himself from continuing to ramble. “Guys got to use a little extra if we want to do it without any problems.”

“Problems?” Lee asked, his frown still in place.

“Well, yeah.” Carter answered hesitantly. “I got to stretch myself out just like you would a girl. Don’t want to just shove it up there without any prep. That aint cool.” He hesitated a moment and then said, “Got condoms in there too.”

Lee raised an eyebrow at Carter but said nothing.

Flushed at having this embarrassing but necessary conversation, Carter dive right back into his default rambling mode. “I know I’m clean. Got tested not too long ago and I probably should have mentioned this before shoving your dick in my mouth but I haven’t been with anyone else, girl or guy wise since. But I totally understand if you want to-”

“No,” Lee said, cutting Carter off to go back to inspecting the small tube in his hand. He seemed to be reading the instructions carefully.

Carter could feel his heart hammering against his chest. He had never had sex with someone without protection before. “You sure, man?”

Lee hummed a response and then put the lube on the counter. He placed his hands back onto Carter’s hips and began to turn the other man around. “This is not a one night stand, James,” he said.

Carter’s throat tightened when he said his name. He might have to rethink this whole first name only in the bedroom idea.

“I trust you,” Lee continued and ran his hand along Carter’s shoulder. “I am clean as well. If you want to use protection, that is fine by me. But if not, you will be safe. I promise.”

For half a moment Carter thought about insisting, but he stayed quiet. He did trust Lee. He was also so distracted by Lee’s words that he almost didn’t realize he was spreading his legs apart. “W-what are you doing?”

“The prep,” Lee answered distractedly when Carter’s back was too him. His eyes were glued to Carter’s ass as he slid his hands down to inspect Carter’s opening.

“Jonathan. Baby. I-you don’t got to do this part. I promise it’s fine-” Carter cut himself off with a moan when Lee’s fingers gently trailed experimentally in between his cheeks. He felt Lee’s breath on the back of his neck and turned to see Lee eyeing him hungrily.

Gently, Lee took Carter’s chin and brought him in for a gentle kiss filled with sultry promises. When he pulled back he whispered, “I will not hurt you.”

Any protests Carter had left died when Lee spoke. He knew he couldn’t argue anymore. Not after that.      

Instead he nodded and turned his head around. He closed his eyes and braced himself against the counter, allowing Lee to take over. Allowing his trust for Lee to take over.

Lee placed feather soft kisses along the back of Carter’s neck and shoulders, all the while using that to distract him from when he took the lube and began to apply it. Before Carter knew what was happening he felt two fingers experimentally touching his hole.

“James,” Lee whispered, his lips against Carter’s ear. “Relax.”

Carter let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and opened his eyes to regard himself and Lee in the bathroom mirror. Lee stood a few inches taller than him, his face resting against his ear as he placed loving kisses around the shell to soothe him. Suddenly, the lust he felt for Lee re-blossomed all over his body. He wanted Lee more than anyone he’d ever been with. The way Lee touched and kissed and held him was everything he’d ever dreamed of and more. And now he had it he was never going to let it go.

“Here,” Carter said and bent down a bit to give Lee better access. “Try it this way.”

Lee let out something between a moan and a choked gasp and began rubbing against him once more. Closing his eyes, Carter allowed himself to relax and just feel.

Laying a hand on his hip, Lee gently began working one lubed finger inside. He went painfully slow, and despite being more than ready to move onto the next part, Carter knew they needed to take their time right now.  

“Please tell me if I do something that does not feel right,” Lee said.

Carter nodded and whispered, “So far so good.”

Lee continued working, keeping up a steady rhythm of opening up Carter with one hand while the other rubbed his hip and back soothingly. His movements were slow but with even intent on making Carter feel good.  

Carter rested his head onto his folded hands, his body humming between being tense and in pleasure mixed with whatever painkillers were still flowing through his sistem. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had handled him so gently, like he was something that could break if he so much as toppled in the wrong direction. It made him all the more grateful that he had taken a leap of faith with Lee.

Lee whispered something in Cantonese and then cleared his throat. “May I add another one?” He sounded like he was in awe at what was happening.

Carter didn’t have to guess what he was asking. He nodded. “Yeah. I’m good.”

There was a slight burn when Lee tried a second finger, but Carter barely noticed it. He let out a long breath and rode the wave until Lee got back into his rhythm. He had to admit, Lee wasn’t lying when he said that there would be no arguments on how his hands would be used during their time together. His fingers seemed to intrinsically know when to curl, when to sooth. When to twist and open him up at the most perfect times. Gradually, Carter felt himself slowly begin to harden again, but kept his hands firmly clasped together as best they could with the cast. This was Lee’s time right now to explore what worked and how to safely move on together. Carter meant it when he said he wanted to wait until they were finally bound together before he let himself go.

Suddenly, Lee changed his angle and hit the spot Carter was beginning to wonder if he’d ever find. A lightning bolt of pleasure shot up his spine. He flattened his hands on the counter and let out a moan that ended in a desperate hiss for Lee to never stop touching him. “That right there. Yes.”

“Is-what?” Lee began to ask.

“A gay man’s g-spot right there,” Carter breathed out and pressed against Lee fingers to indicate he was alright, and wanted Lee to continue. “Or a bi-man’s if we’re talking about us.”

Tentatively, Lee searched and quickly brushed against it once more.

“Oh damn baby yes right there just don’t stop,” Carter chanted encouragingly. Lee took his word for it and continued his ministrations against the nub that was driving Carter crazy. 

After a few moments Lee pressed himself close to Carter’s back and nipped him lightly on the neck. “Now?” He asked in a ragged voice. “The noises you make…please. I don’t know how much longer I can wait. Can I be inside you? Please?”  

Carter didn’t think he’d ever heard Lee sound so desperate. Where he held his hip, Carter could feel Lee’s hand tremble, and his hot breath of desire coated his neck like a second skin.

He was dying, he wanted to say yes.

“No,” Carter almost sobbed out. The ‘yes’ was so close, but he knew how hard Lee had been working to take care of him. To not hurt him. “One more. To be safe…you need to get one more finger in.”

For a moment he worried Lee would fight him, or try to compare his experience with women and how their needs would have long ago already been met.

Instead, Lee wrapped an arm around Carter’s waist and pulled him in close. He dragged his nose along his cheek and placed kisses down the ridge of Carter’s trembling jaw.

Carter couldn’t stop the shivers surrounding his body as his back connected with Lee’s warm and solid chest. He slid an arm up and around Lee’s neck until his fingers tangled into Lee’s dark locks. Just as Lee slid the last finger inside, Carter tugged him down to capture his mouth in their most intense, passionately shared kiss yet.

An inferno erupted in Carter’s chest as Lee worked his body open with his hands and mouth. He was at Lee’s mercy, body and soul, and would give this man everything until he had nothing left. He fought an internal battle against taking himself in hand to finally release his mounting pleasure at that moment, but held back. He wanted more, but he wanted Lee to feel the same. To be splayed out and captured in Carter’s never ending passions, together tumbling down into that rabbit hole of desire.

“I’m ready,” Carter breathed into Lee’s panting mouth, open and eager for more. “The bedroom. Ung. Please.” He tried to turn around but Lee pumped his fingers even faster inside Carter, causing him to moan and collapse back onto the counter.

While he was a novice in being with a man, when he knew he was doing something right Lee didn’t hold back. His fingers curved, twisted and pulsated a rhythm that drove Carter wild. If he weren’t so desperate for Lee to be inside him, for them to finally share their first time together, he would have had no problem letting Lee drive him to pieces right there.

But that would be for another time. Using what little resistance he had left, Carter pushed himself back up and turned to Lee. “The bedroom,” he whispered again, this time giving Lee his most lascivious, prurient look he could muster. 

Lee stopped his ministrations and his eyes zeroed in on Carter’s lips. To seal the deal, Carter gently licked them, his very real hunger for Lee evident in that small movement.

A possessive growl that Carter was definitely going to bring up later escaped the back of Lee’s throat as he attacked those wet lips. In a sense of deja vu, this time Carter was the one pushing and tugging Lee towards the bedroom, though Lee had promptly moved on from Carter’s lips to latch onto his throat. Carter knew he wasn’t helping his cause by the salacious, wanton noises he was making when Lee did that, but he couldn’t help himself. The man knew how to push all the right buttons to make them turn green.

Before Lee knew what was happening, Carter pushed him back onto his bed. With a frustrated huff that Carter wasn’t attached to his body anymore, Lee glared up from the mussed up bed sheets and nearly lunged himself towards Carter to pull him towards him.

He needn’t have, however, as Carter was already climbing onto the bed with every intention of plastering himself back onto Lee. Crawling onto his lap, Carter allowed Lee to wrap his arms around him and pull him in close, kissing a line up from his dark shoulders to his wet, open lips.

Carter had to take a moment to center himself whenever Lee kissed him. The man knew his way around a pair of lips, and his tongue and teeth for that matter as well. When his tongue wasn’t making friends with Carter’s, his lips were nipping and nibbling along Carter’s mouth and jaw like he was the most delicious thing in the world. For a moment Carter allowed himself to wonder what it will be like when Lee goes down on him, and it almost made him come right there.

“Focus,” he muttered as he pushed away the thought of Lee on his knees in front of him, and instead paid attention to Lee on his back in front of him.

“Babe,” Carter said. He placed a hand on Lee’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Lee paused, taking in a slow breath to lift his eyes to meet Carter’s.

It made Carter dizzy to see Lee’s eyes blown wide with lust. A thin sheen of sweat rested on his forehead, below his dark hair mussed up into a wind-blown looking disaster. Lee’s fingers dug into his sides, and his hips shifted in need for more contact.

Suddenly, Carter realized that he was the one who had done this. He was the one Lee was an utter disaster for, desperate and delirious with desire for him. It gave him a strange sense of pride, and a deep realization of possession. Lee was an open mess in front of him, and if he had his way, he would be the only person who would ever see him like this ever again.

“Baby,” Carter drawled out. He lifted his hand to place his fingers delicately onto Lee’s lips. “Can I ride you?”

Lee’s Adam’s apple bobbed a few times before he slowly nodded, his thumbs tracing circles into Carter’s stomach. “Yes,” he managed, though the word sounded strangled with lust. “Yes, you may.”

Carter smiled so wide his lips hurt. He wanted to kiss Lee again, but was afraid he would never be able to stop. Instead he shifted to sit up, but was stopped by Lee tightening his grip on his hips.

Laughing, Carter ran his hands along Lee’s and said, “Take it easy. I’m not going anywhere.”

Nodding with a slight tint of red on his cheeks, Lee loosened his hold on Carter.

With ginger care, Carter ushered Lee backwards onto the bed until he connected with some pillows propped up against the backboard. Then he turned around and grabbed the bottle of lube he had brought into the room from the bathroom.

He poured some onto Lee’s straining member and coated it well before he rose onto his knees and began to sink down onto it, letting the penetration continue to stretch him out wide.

Carter’s head bowed forward in concentration and his hands shot out to grasp the top of the headboard to steady himself. Though his eyes were initially clenched shut, he pried them open to watch Lee’s reaction. He was not disappointed.

Lee’s eyes grew impossibly large as pleasure surged though his body by the tightness surrounding him before they clenched shut when Carter became fully seated on him. With a chocked gasp his head tilted back, but he kept himself focused enough to not grasp onto Carter too tight. He wanted to drive himself up into Carter’s warmth, but forced himself to hold back. The man in his hands hadn’t even moved yet and Lee already knew this would be the best sex he had ever had in his life.

Since it had been a while, Carter took his time until he was fully sheathed onto Lee. When they were finally connected, both men were panting and gasping from the adrenaline coursing through their bodies.

To calm them down, Carter leaned forward and ran his fingers up Lee’s neck, once again curling his hand into a fistful of Lee’s dark locks. The small movement made Lee give out a guttural moan and roll his hips just a little. 

“Lee,” Carter begged, his mind a fog of pleasure being fueled by Lee’s scent, his touch, the lingering taste of him in mouth. “One second. Please. Then-then you can move-”

Lee rapidly nodded his head. His eyes were furrowed with concentration, and he ran his hands up and down Carter’s back to sooth and reassure him. Carter was in control here, and like he said, Lee was going to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Tentatively, Carter lifted his hips a smidge to test if he was ready. In a smooth glide, he rolled his hips down, causing Lee to moan and swear in Cantonese.

“Like that, baby?” Carter asked, and didn’t wait for Lee to nod before he did it again, this time higher and faster.

Carter didn’t know what Lee answered in Cantonese at first, but whatever it was it ended in, “Yes. Please. More.”

“Love to hear you beg,” Carter whispered, and slid his hands down onto Lee’s shoulders. Getting into a more steady rhythm, he rose and fell onto Lee’s member with gradually increasing rapidity. Lee could only hold on, his eyes entrenched on Carter’s movements, his mouth hanging open in a silent ‘o’ of unending pleasure.

Carter knew he was good at this position during sex, but what he wasn’t expecting was how good it felt back. Though Lee was obviously, and now loudly, proving he was enjoying the ride, he hadn’t come yet, and didn’t seem like he would be anytime soon.

But, pleasure was shooting up Carter’s body, and having held back so far from coming was catching up with him fast. Just as he was about to reach down to grab his own member, Lee chocked out some more foreign words and, before Carter knew what was happening, Lee grabbed his legs and quickly flipped them over.

“Jon-” Carter began in surprise as his back hit the mattress, but it was his turn to throw his head back in pleasure as Lee, now on top, now in control, began to drive into him in a rapid pace that hit every one of his pleasure points.

Lee’s hands gripped his legs and held him steady as he panted and grunted above him. Carter had never been handled like this before, rough but without fear of being trapped or hurt, and he loved the weight, the solidness of Lee above and inside him.

Unable to hold back anymore, Carter’s hands shot out to grab Lee’s shoulders and he shouted through gasps, “Shit. Jon. I’m-I-coming-” An explosion of white hot pleasure engulfed his body whole. He had never come so hard in his life, and he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to live in normalcy again.

Lee slowed his pace to wrap Carter in his arms and pull him close, capturing his mouth in an open, raw kiss that stole his very breath. His body shivered from the aftershocks of his orgasm, and when Lee pulled away to allow him to breathe once more, he buried himself into Lee’s shoulders and whispered, “Don’t hold back baby. Want to feel you let go inside me.”

Lee didn’t need to be told twice. He rolled his hips once, twice, and then on the third time he tightened his hold around Carter’s body and released his everything inside his lover. Carter embraced him back, whispering soft, encouraging words into Lee’s skin until his shuddering stopped.

Soon, Lee rolled off Carter, but kept his arms around him to tug him in close. Carter had a feeling they were both sharing the same euphoric high that came after a good round of sex. Only this time the sex had been fantastic.

Lee cupped the back of Carter’s head and kissed him hard, then slowly began to slide out of him. Carter tugged his mouth away to let out a small hiss, but he quickly recovered.

“I’m sorry,” Lee whispered when they were finally disconnected. Carter could see in his eyes that he was truly upset.

“Hey, it’s alright baby,” Carter said soothingly as he ran his hand up and down Lee’s toned and warm arm. “I’m alright. It’s just been a while. Still kind of tight, which as you just learned aint such a bad thing.” When Lee didn’t seem to be placated with that answer, Carter snuggled impossibly closer and gave his lips a quick nip. “You were amazing, Lee. Damn, I always wondered if you had a bit of a wild side in you but when you flipped me and went into hard mode? Goddamn man.”

Lee shifted nervously. “That-it was alright?”

“Babe,” Carter began, and realized he would probably be calling Lee every sort of cutesy nickname until the day he died. “You can flip me any which way you want if it means I’m gonna come the way I just did. Best sex ever. Top one hundred, no doubt.” He shifted and laid his head onto Lee’s chest. “I’d high five you for being so unbelievably good in bed but I’m way too tired.”

He could feel Lee let out a soft breath of laughter beneath his cheek and smiled triumphantly.

“We should clean up,” Lee said quietly and ran a hand up and down Carter’s dark bare back.

Carter shivered at the light touch and let out a whine. “No.” He wrapped his arms around Lee and buried his face into his pecs. “Too comfy.”

“You will become sticky and uncomfortable,” Lee fought back, but made no attempt to move.

“I like being sticky and uncomfortable,” Carter argued.

“I know for a fact you do not.” Lee placed a kiss on the top of Carter’s head and began to slide out of bed. Carter let him leave with a few short protests, but stayed where he was until Lee came back with a warm wash cloth.

Carter huffed out an annoyed breath and sat up to reach for the cloth. Lee shook his head and placed a hand on Carter’s chest as he climbed back into the bed. “I will do it for you.”

Surprised, Carter opened his mouth to argue. But a sharp look from Lee made him clamp his lips shut. He laid back down and looked at the ceiling as Lee ran the cloth between his legs. He could feel himself blush slightly but at the same time he indulged in being taken care of.

When Lee was finished he crawled back onto the bed. He had barely gotten the covers up and over both of them before Carter pulled him close with a yawn.

“I’m going to pass out if you want to join?” Everyone was different in how they handled things after sex. Carter hopped Lee would stay, but he wouldn’t blame the man if he wasn’t comfortable sharing a bed yet.

Luckily, Lee nodded. “These past few days have been exhausting for me as well.”

“You okay being big spoon?” Carter asked as he turned and snuggled his back up against Lee’s chest.

“Spoon?” Lee wrapped his arm around Carter’s chest and tugged him in close. He ran his nose along Carter’s neck to drink in his scent, to feel him alive beneath his hands.

“Yeah. Spooning,” Carter said, his voice already heavy with oncoming sleep. “You’re the big spoon wrapped around the little spoon.” He patted Lee’s hand. “I’ll explain later.”

He finally seemed ready to go down but then said quietly, “You’ll be here when I wake up right? You don’t got to be anywhere?”

Even though Lee couldn’t see his face, he could hear the slight twinge of fear in Carter’s voice. He didn’t blame him for being worried about falling asleep considering what happened the last time.

Lee gave Carter a gentle squeeze and kissed the back of his dark shoulder. “I will not go anywhere. I promise.”

Carter let out a long breath, his body deflating of tension as he tried to force himself to relax. “Thanks, Lee.”

“There is nothing to thank me for. Go to sleep,” Lee said.

He waited until Carter’s breathing became heavy and even, and then promptly followed him into a deep slumber.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the end! Thank you to everyone who read and gave Kudos and a very special thanks to Aquata, Hyx_Sydin, OZ fan, VickyStark for your lovely comments! I also apologize if there are loose ends or some questions at the end of the story, this was my first time writing a mystery so I'm still new to tying everything up.
> 
> Thank you again everyone! Please enjoy!

Lee knew he was frowning deeply, but he couldn’t stop himself.

What was unfolding in front of him was not what he had expected would happen when he and Carter returned to the precinct that day.

“Let’s just lay it all out here and now, Lang,” Carter said from where he sat at the interrogation table. “Save us the trouble of wasting our time. Cause you know Lee and I are going to dig out every single detail about this mess you’re involved in. Trust me on that. But, if you play nice and you save me an’ him some time I’ll sure make my reports make you look extra good.”

Lee looked over former Detective Lang sitting across from Carter. He was dressed in bright prison orange with metal cuffs clasped tight around his thin wrists courtesy of last night’s lockup. To someone untrained, they would only see Lang’s blank face staring back at Carter chatting away, seemingly void of any interest in whatever his partner had to say. Despite his unkempt hair, patchy stubble along his jaw, and a bleary, unslept demeanor; the only desire Lang would seemingly have is a bed.

But, Lee knew better. From where he stood outside the interrogation room, watching through the two way mirror, he could see faintest hint of an alternative desire that resided deep within Lang’s blue eyes. And what he wanted from Carter was only one thing: a deal.

When Captain Cole called Lee that morning at a time so early the sun hadn’t even woken up yet, for the first time since he had strapped on a badge and added Detective to his name, he did not want to go into work. Carter’s warm body was tucked safely into his arms, and if he had been granted one wish, it would be to never leave that bed, and his man, for the rest of his life.

But, Captain Cole was no genie, and her wishes were not ones to be denied. When she demand Lee come into the precinct ASAP and get the ball rolling in putting Shen and Lang behind bars for good, he knew he could not say no.

However, he had adamantly said no to Carter when his partner rolled out of his embrace with the speed of a lame duck; intent on joining him. That led to an argument that solidified that their friendship would not be jeopardized by their recent tryst into bed together, and their repeat performance before they went out the door.

Lee wasn’t sure yet if that was a good thing or not.

He also lost the argument that he would interrogate Lang, and Carter would rundown Shen. The fierce protectiveness Lee suddenly felt at Carter facing the man who was intricately involved in almost ending his life tore at him deeper than he ever thought he would face feeling for his partner.

As he had learned all too well from his sister, he couldn’t control Carter any more than he could disobey his Captain’s orders. Carter wanted, or as he said, needed to confront Lang and find out why this man had thrown away his sacred duty in such a way that endangered the innocent people he had sworn to protect.

“I need to look this man in the eyes,” Carter had said outside the interrogation room before he started with Lang, his hand warm and firm on Lee’s elbow, his body so close Lee had to bite the inside of his cheek to not let himself fall into Carter’s scent he knew so intimately now. “I need to step up to him to let him know he didn’t win. That I’m still standing.” He stopped and gave Lee a small, knowing smile. “I’m still standing cause of you, baby.”

Lee knew he had lost the battle before it had even begun when Carter called him that. So, a single wall was all that separated Lee from Carter, aggravated at his own safety and with his entire body tense and ready to barrel into the room if Lang tried to hurt Carter. He knew it was unlikely, but Carter was his now, and part of that would be to protect his lover in any way that he could for as long as Carter would have him.

At that thought, Lee couldn’t stop his frown from lifting a bit. Last night’s memories flew into his mind like an homage to a bad romance movie. Carter was his. As incredibly, undeniably strange as that was, Carter was now his boyfriend.

After their fight about Carter coming to the precinct, which ended with Carter on top of Lee promising too many amazing things to count, they had decided to keep their new relationship quiet and only between the two of them until they figured out how they wanted to move forward with everything. However, Lee had a feeling Gerald already knew about Carter’s feelings for him, and would suss out what they were hiding fast enough. A part of him wasn’t thrilled about it, but as always Lee knew he could trust Gerald to keep Carter’s best interest at heart. Or at least try too.

Which brought him back to regarding his lover facing off against Lang. Shen was in transport to the precinct and would be there soon, but he had no intention of starting that interrogation process until Carter was finished with Lang. Unfortunately, by the way Lang continued to stonewall Carter, that would be for a while.     

* * *

 

 “You want me to save you some time? That it?”

Carter had half a mind to reach out and smack Lang, but kept his hands where they were; one casually laying on the interrogation table and the other hanging off the back his chair as he sat relaxed and seemingly unconcerned about the conversation they were having. Truthfully, the position did horrible things to his bruised ribs and sore body, but he’d be damned if he ever appeared weak in front of Lang.

“Yeah. You know, time I’ma need to recover from my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day of being blown up and buried alive. You know all about that sad tune so I don’t got to elaborate.”

“Looking pretty good for someone who went through all that shit,” Lang retorted without emotion.

“Yeah, well I have a partner who didn’t leave me up shit creek without a paddle, or an alibi, or an escape plan when things went south.” Carter shrugged and hoped Lee was still outside the interrogation room to hear that compliment. He would be kissing the ground the man walked on, or various other much more fun places on Lee’s body, for the rest of his life for saving him as many times as he did.

Lang’s pale, tired face clouded over and he turned to look at the white tiled wall. “Heard your partner put a few in mine. That right?”

Carter nodded. “That he did.”

Lang sat back in his chair, then laid his cuffed hands on his lap. “I’m not stupid you know,” he mumbled from where his eyes turned to focus on the light shining off the metal looped around his wrists. “I didn’t follow him blind.”

“That you followed him at all makes you stupid by default,” Carter shot back. “Blind or not.”

“Someone should have put a few in him years ago. I did my research. I knew what kind of guy he was.” He jerked his head towards Carter. “Knew you were in a box in the dirt when Detective Lee got that phone call. I knew he had plans for you as soon as he asked me get your cell phone from evidence.”

Carter narrowed his eyes. “How?” He tried not to let the memory of being trapped in the dark throw him off kilter. It would take some time before he would be totally okay again, but he was trying.

“Like I said. Did my research. Knew a few guys from my military days who spent some time overseas. Got Ianov’s prints off a bottle of scotch he drank at the safe house and they gave me what they could that wouldn’t get them fired or arrested. _Mogil Kopetal_. You know what that means in Russian?”

Carter shook his head and leaned forward onto the table. “Enlighten me, professor.”

“Loosely translated: Gravedigger. That was his bad guy name Used to be how he tortured and killed people for his country back in the day.”

Carter held back a shiver at the memory. “Sounds like a fun guy to run around with on the playground. What the hell got into you that made you want to have a playdate with this psycho? What do you have against the badge so much that you took up with him?”

He gave Carter a mirthless smirk that held more than he was willing to give. “I have my reasons for doing what I did. It doesn’t matter now.” He shifted in his seat and matched Carter’s positon on the table. “What matters now is what you’re going to do for me.”

Carter had to clench his fingers together to keep them from slamming Lang’s forehead onto the table. “Only one thing I’ma do for you, and that’s repeat what I said. You know the drill, man. Tell me step by step what went down with you and Stalin McMurder Psycho and I’ll make smiley faces and put little hearts over my I’s whenever I write about you in my reports.”

Carter then sat back and lifted his hands. “Hey, and you know what? You caught in me in a good mood this morning. Feeling all nice and generous today. Probably cause I got laid last night.” He winked at Lang, who gave him a grimace, and hoped even more Lee was still watching outside the window. “I’ll throw in a little extra something. Just for you.”

“Lucky me,” Lang muttered.

“In good faith, you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to not open that door and let my partner come in here and beat the crap out of you. How about that? That some good icing on the cake, am I right?” He stood, slowly and painfully. The bullet wound to his leg was acting sore and he was sure the previous night’s activities hadn’t helped. Purposefully he walked behind Lang’s chair, then placed his hands on the back of it. He was no longer smiling, and his last sentence held the tone of a person who wasn’t playing anymore.

“He wouldn’t touch me,” Lang gritted out. “There are rules.”

“There are rules about cops going bad. Didn’t seem to bother you. I doubt it’ll bother Lee when he breaks your teeth in with his ugly, overpriced boots.”

“Might bother Detective Lee if I tell some people about his sister being alive. And getting involved in cases. And about the people involved in those cases.”

Carter raised an eyebrow at Lang’s ballsey move. He held no love for Kim other than her being important to Lee, but even he wouldn’t throw her to the wolves like that. He half expected Lee to burst through the door and break Lang’s face right there. But the door remained shut. For now.

With an overdramatic sigh, Carter shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands. “Look, I’ll be honest. Once you get into lockup, there aint a damn thing I can do about who you talk to. Be it some high powered MSS agents or your fun new bed buddies.” Carter casually walked over to stand beside Lang and leaned an elbow onto the table. “But just to give you a heads up, her employers won’t take too kindly to you running your mouth about their agent. And they can make sure you don’t talk a hell of a lot better than I can.” He stood and slapped a hand hard down onto Lang’s shoulder in a faux gesture of comradeship. He would be lying if he said that he didn’t get a little pleasure out of hearing the man’s painful grunt when his hand landed on a bruise left over from his and Lee’s previous scuffle.

“Now. You got something else you want to try? Or can we just speed this along? My meds are wearing off soon and that’ll make me cranky.” He pulled out his chair and plopped back down onto it. “And trust me, you don’t want me writing my report when I’m cranky.” 

* * *

 

Lee regarded Shen quietly as he took a seat across from the elder man. The interrogation room’s harsh light made him look ages older than he was, and the tired resignation that resided in his eyes did nothing to rectify his appearance. Now, it was Carter’s turn to wait outside the room, hopefully from the chair Lee had brought in and forced him to sit and rest on before leaving to begin.

“You could have ran,” Lee said when Shen finally met his eyes, pushing Carter away from his thoughts. He needed to focus. He needed to zero in on how it was not lost on either of them that Shen had saved Lee. Saved Carter. And he would suffer the punishment Ianov had escaped with death.

“Ianov could have killed me. No one had suspected you-” Lee continued, but stopped when Shen held up a hand.

“It is over. I knew it would be over long before it began. As soon as that woman walked into my office one night, holding all the answers to the questions I had been asking for decades.”

“Nadia Lepedia,” Lee said and opened the file in front of him. He slid out two pictures, one of a young Nadia in her snow white tulle, and one of a crime scene photo with her on Royce Hall’s stage, her life gone.

Shen sighed as he regarded her pictures and shook his head. “Such a waste. For the both of them.”

Lee could only assume he meant Galina as well.

“I have many questions. But the one I wish to start with is why? Why did you kill her?”

She folded his hands onto the table in front of him and said, “I will answer all your questions as long as you answer one of mine.”

“If I can,” Lee said honestly.

Shen nodded. “How did you know it was me?”

“I am afraid it was nothing special. And, I will admit, I wasn’t even sure at the time that it was you. I just relied on simple police work. My partner and I have worked on many strange cases, but this one was definitely one of our more stranger ones. When Gerald and Gilly introduced us to you, Carter and I never stopped to ask how you became aware of our investigation. We only assumed, and it was a mistake on our part.” Shen just nodded, encouraging Lee to continue. “When a civilian becomes part of an active case it is important to understand how and in what respects. If someone is purposefully trying to integrate themselves into an investigation, that is a classic sign that they are most likely involved somehow. They want to know how much the police know. Or to try and make themselves seem unlike a suspect as much as possible. I have seen it happen many times. I did not, however, expect it from you.”

Shen smiled and nodded again. “I’m afraid I am not very nuanced in the art of breaking laws.”

“You have no record. No history of aggression or violent crimes,” Lee said. “You could have easily faded into the background. No one had thought twice about you when Nadia was killed, and that would have continued had you not stepped in. There is nothing connecting you to either victim.”

“Well…yes there is,” Shen sighed and sat back in his chair. “She, Nadia, was, for a short time, my sister-in-law.”

Lee blinked in surprise and for a moment considered the mental state of the man sitting in front of him.

“Your…sister-in-law?”

“Yes. You knew him as the Dragon, but before that he was just a simple gangster associated with the Quantou. Yang Wei. My older half-brother.”

Lee did not think this case could have become more complicated; he should have known better. “Dr. Shen, I have read through Lepedia’s files given to us by the Chinese Consulate. She and Andrei Ianov spent a considerable amount of time in China, but not once does it mention a relationship with the man who would one day control the Quantou. I find it hard to believe they would have missed it.”

“Who says they did?” Shen answered with a shrug.

As much as it pained Lee to silently admit it, Shen had a point.

Lee also felt his forehead give a small, painful twinge, hinting at an oncoming headache with the realization that he would have to deal with a long string of DNA tests in his near future.   

Shen continued. “As you know, despite its current legal status, polygamy was once not an uncommon practice in our country, for those who could afford it at least. I knew Yang Wei was my half-brother on my father’s side, long ago. My mother met and married our father before she immigrated to America with me. She told me she left her husband when she realized how deep into the criminal world he was going, and bringing along his son, Yang, from another marriage with him.”

Shen held Lee’s eyes for a moment. “She did not want that life for me. Unfortunately, it is now one of my many regrets, that after all the hard work my mother did to keep me out of prison,” he held up his shackled hands, “it was my destiny to end up here all along. Even after I made sure to sever all contact with the man, especially once I knew the Quantou was setting up in LA last year. ”

Lee let Shen sit with that thought for a moment before he asked, “Why did you kill Lepedia?”

Shen sighed. “Because she asked me to.”

“I find that…hard to believe,” Lee admitted. He sat back in his seat and tapped his pen thoughtfully on the table.

“Nadia and I met only once a long time ago. It was a surprise to see her arrive at my office at the university one night. She still held herself with the same poise and dignity of a dancer. But she had so many things to say.” He paused and let out a sad breath. “She said it was fate that I had ended up here, family to the man she once loved and now connected to the woman she confessed to killing.”

“So she did confess,” Lee said and made a note of that in his notepad. “Did she say why?”

Shen nodded. “Because of her son. She also admitted to being involved in her child’s father’s unfortunate demise a year later. When she learned that Galina was raising her son, supported by her own lover, she sought revenge for the life and motherhood stolen from her. She found out about the tunnels during a tour of the university before the ballet performance. Nadia sent Galina a message posing as her lover to lure her into the tunnels as a rendezvous and overpowered her, leaving her to die and her fate to become unknown to the world.”

“Did she tell you where Galina is buried?” Lee asked, then paused as the memory of Carter’s coffin entered his mind. He quickly pushed it aside to remain focused. “Is it near where Detective Carter was?”

Shen shook his head. “She said that she did not remember where she left Galina. And for her to never be found, that was to be part of her punishment.”

“Punishment?”

Shen looked towards the closed door of the room. “For failing her son. She didn’t take into account what repercussions her actions would have held for him. She thought with Galina out of the way she could get him back, but that was not to be so. His father refused to take them back and instead placed him in an orphanage and she lost him for decades. She said that when she saw him again, he was not the man she had hoped he would be.”

He glanced down at his handcuffs. “A mother’s worst nightmare.”

Lee thought about Ianov, and how he came out of retirement to avenge his mother’s death. “He loved her. Her son. He loved her more than she might have realized.”

“Apparently,” Shen answered with a mirthless laugh. “I doubt she would have ever guessed he would have come to avenge her, especially when she was so worried about the Dragon.”

The Quantou, Lee thought. It was always circling back to them. “Yang Wei was looking for Ianov. Did Lepedia say why?”

“Her son,” Shen said. “He wanted him dead. You see, when Yang and Nadia fell in love they were married in secret. But, she was working for the Russian and Chinese consulates and still very much under their control. She wanted out, but they were forced to separate when Yang became too entwined with the underworld. Nadia knew too much, and would have been a liability were she to share her learned secrets with the wrong people. Instead of killing her, they sent her son, now under their control as well, to kill allies and associates of the Dragon; pitting them against each other. It became a matter of honor, to take out Ianov as revenge for those he killed. And soon Nadia couldn’t be with the man who wanted her son dead.”

Lee’s head spun as he tried to connect the dots between all these people. “How did she end up in the states?”

“Ianov helped her and her new, safer husband start their lives over again here. She had to leave everyone behind, those she loved. She asked to settle here, near the site of her greatest mistake, as penance. And when she came to me, she knew the time for penance was to come to an end.”

Lee raised an eyebrow, silently encouraging Shen to continue.

“She knew as soon as she heard that the Quantou was settling its roots in L.A. they would seek her out. Honor would not let the Dragon to leave Ianov alone, no matter his history with her. This was her last chance to save her son the way she couldn’t before. They had continued contact, she and Ianov, after he retired. She knew where he was, and she knew the Quantou would use her new family against her to get give up that information.”

Suddenly, it clicked. Lee said, “Nadia decided to give up her own life to save her family.”

For a moment Shen hesitated, then resigned, he nodded. “Yes.”

Lee laid his hands flat on the table as the answers settled heavily on his mind. “Did you…” he faltered for a moment, again as Carters scared voice and fearful eyes came to the forefront of his mind. “Did you do to her what-what she did to Galina?”

Shen closed his eyes and let out a wretched sigh. “Yes. It was what she asked of me. She hoped she would gain some sort of forgiveness if she,” he waved a hand as he tried to find the words. “If she went through the same suffering she had inflicted on others. Through herself and her son.”

“How-why did you agree?”

With a shake of his head, Shen huffed out a shuddering breath and answered breathlessly, “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Dr. Shen,” Lee said firmly. “We have come this far. Please. It might help your case if you answer the question. Truthfully.”

“I doubt it will help, but I owe it to you, to the others who were hurt because of my cowardice.” He sighed and sniffed a bit, and Lee was surprised to see his eyes watering slightly with tears.

“I did it, not because Nadia asked me to…but…because I was in love with Galina.” He paused. “Am. I am still in love with her.”

That…was not the answer Lee had expected.

“I am sorry,” Lee tried slowly as he did the math. “I do not understand. But, did you ever…meet Galina?”

“Not in the way that would make sense, young man,” Shen said. “In 1967 I was drafted to help create and cultivate the Parapsychology lab at UCLA. As I explained to you before, we were encouraged to study all the unexplained things that, if true, would open immense possibilities within in the scientific community. During my studies, my mother told me the story of Nadia, and her connection to me. Intrigued, as a side hobby, I began to explore the possibility of Galina haunting Royce Hall.” He let out a shaky laugh. “I never thought I would have been right.”

“Right?”

“Yes. Slowly, as I worked more and more in confirming her existence, she began to trust me. Even when the lab was shut down almost ten years later, I took on as many jobs with the university as I could to stay close to her. Over the years she made her presence to me in a multitude of ways. She was so alone, and I was her only connection to the rest of the world.”

Lee sat, stunned. He had not expected this conversation to veer in that direction. “You...are in love with a ghost?”

Shen scoffed, unsurprised at Lee’s tone and answer. “I can understand how hard it would be to comprehend feeling something the rest of the world doesn’t understand, or would necessarily approve of.”

Lee understood, but he wasn’t sure how what he was going through could compare on whatever plane of existence Shen was basing his believed relationship on.

Trying to calm down the situation, Lee said as respectfully as he could, “So, you followed through with Nadia’s plan because you wanted revenge for Galina?”

“In a sense,” Shen answered. “I also hoped that by doing this act, Galina would find the peace that eluded her for so long. Even if it meant she would leave me.”

“Why, then, did you not leave Nadia there? As she left Galina?”

In a pleading tone, Shen held out his hands. “Because…because I could not do that to her family. To leave her missing, and give them that hope that she could be alive when she wasn’t? It would have been too cruel.”

That, Lee realized, he could absolutely relate with.

Shen looked down at his wrists again. “I knew the chance that I was taking. And when no one questioned me I thought that I might have gotten away with it.” He looked back up to Lee. “But she was still there. Galina was still in Royce Hall. It wasn’t finished yet. Things still needed to happen.” He lifted a finger and pointed at Lee. “You still needed to happen.”

“Me?”

Shen nodded. “Yes. Whether it was Ianov or saving your friend, whatever it was, it worked.” He sighed and sat back in his seat. “Galina is gone. I could feel it when I was in Royce Hall, before they arrested me. In the air, in my heart.” He placed a hand over his chest and took in a deep breath. “She is at peace.”

“Alright,” Lee said after a moment’s thought and stood. He began to gather up the papers. He didn’t know how to respond to Shen’s comments on Galina, and thought it safe to end their interview here. He would have more questions for him in the future, the case was far from finished, but he wanted to follow up on Shen’s claims before he went any further.

“I am sorry for what part I played in this disaster,” Shen said when he saw Lee stand. “I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I never thought that this would expand past our actions.” He paused and said again. “I am deeply sorry.”

Lee could only nod. “I understand. We will see each other again soon.” He turned to walk out the door.

“Detective Lee,” Shen called out.

Lee paused and looked back at him. He gave him another nod that he could continue.

“I hope, in her own way, Galina was able to apologize as well.”

For a moment Lee was confused, then he suddenly remembered the tunnels. When the device died, and a voice in the distance called his name, leading him towards Carter.

A cold chill settled low in Lee’s back, and the look on his face must have answered Shen’s question.

The other man nodded and closed his eyes. “She is at peace.” 

* * *

 

“My boots are not ugly.”

Carter cocked an eyebrow at Lee’s petulant tone as they walked out of the precinct. There was more work to be done, but for now Carter was on injury leave and needed to head home. He tried to get Lee to stay at work, but surprisingly he refused. Instead, he expressed his intentions to stay with Carter for the rest of the day, possibly into tomorrow.

Carter wasn’t sure what to think of Lee choosing him over the job, but he’d be lying if he said that it didn’t make his heart do little summersaults and his stomach tighten a bit with affection at Lee’s protective behavior. He was beginning to realize that in addition to taking care of Lee, he was now going to have to get used to someone taking care of him. He wasn’t sure what to think of that, but he had a feeling he would like it.

“Who said your boots were ugly?” Carter asked as he limped down the steps towards the parking lot. “I’ll kick their ass.”

“Then you will have to kick your own ass because it was you who said it.”

“When did I say that?”

“When you were interrogating Lang.” Lee shot out a hand to grasp Carter’s arm when he stopped and winced. “Are you sure you do not want me to drive?”

Carter gave Lee his own exacerbated look and answered, “Hell no. The drugs have worn off enough that I should be fine. And even though I have to drive this ugly ass excuse someone actually thought should be deemed a motorized vehicle, I aint ready to be carted around like some invalid.”

When they reached the bottom of the steps Carter shifted his annoyance to the boxy Kia Soul the precinct had given him to drive until his own car was finished with its repairs. At first Lee thought that Carter would flat out refuse to take the car after the giant fit he had thrown when they handed him the keys, but eventually Carter’s hatred of public transportation trumped his displeasure with the unusual looking vehicle and he relented.

“It is not that bad,” Lee remarked as they walked towards it.

Carter scoffed and unlocked the doors. With a grimace he slid in behind the wheel and shifted uncomfortably.

“Carter. Please let me drive,” Lee tried again, but Carter shook his head.

“No way, babe. You got away with it before because of the situation with Ianov, but that was special circumstances. You don’t have a license here in the states and I don’t want you getting into trouble if something happens.” At Lee’s confused glance Carter forced himself to look him in the eyes. “Things are…kind of crazy right now in the country. And we’ve been getting a lot of attention lately with all these high profile cases. The last thing we need is something stupid to happen and you being made an example of for someone’s own anti whatever agenda.”

Lee blinked in surprised, taken aback. He had never thought of that. And that Carter was looking out for him in that way made him feel cared for and safe. It was new and he liked it more than he realized he would.

“I…didn’t realize you thought of those things.” 

Carter sat back and adjusted his seat again. “Well, get used to it. I’m going to think, worry and probably complain about a lot of things now that we’re,” he guested a hand between the two of them. “We’re us. But, I’ve got your back, babe. And I know you’ve got mine.”

The large smile Lee gave Carter made that uncomfortable conversation completely worth it.

“I do,” Lee said and reached out a hand to run it affectionately down Carter’s arm, along his white cast. “Thank you.”

“Welcome,” Carter sighed, trying not to get lost in Lee’s eyes. His smile. “Want to grab some grub?”

“Sure,” Lee answered as he buckled himself in and powered down the window. “What would you suggest?”

Carter pointed to him and asked, “You ever try Chinese food before? I’ve got a feeling you’d like it.”

Lee rolled his eyes at Carter’s bad joke and shook his head. “As usual you attempt to be more funny than you actually are.” 

Smiling wide, Carter turned the car key, bringing the engine roaring to life. As he pulled out of the parking lot he said, “Screw you, dude. I’m hilarious. Anyways, I’m down for whatever, but I got to insist on a place for desert.”

When Carter didn’t continue Lee resigned himself and asked, “Okay. Where must we go for desert?”

“It’s a great place. Close by. You’ll love it,” Carter explained as he slid on his sunglasses. “It’s called Carters.”

It took only a moment for Lee to realize what Carter meant and he shifted in his seat. “If I am not mistaken,” he began and then paused to shift again as he felt himself become even more excited. “Is it not an American tradition to eat dessert before dinner?” He had to curl his fingers into tight fists to keep himself from reaching out to run his hand along Carter’s tempting body.

Carter spared Lee a glance and then licked his lips when he saw the look of besotted desire openly displayed on his face. “Only if you want to be bad.” He glanced at the road quickly before looking back at Lee. “You feel like being bad, baby?”

His voice had gone low with a seductive promise that went straight to Lee’s groin.

Lee cleared his throat and wiped at his mouth to make sure he wasn’t drooling. “Yes,” he tried but it came out too breathless and needy. He tried again. “Yes.” Better.

“Yes, what?” Carter asked as they came to a stoplight.

Now with nothing to distract him, Carter met Lee’s eyes again; a silent challenge being thrown down. Lee sighed and knew his face was beginning to turn a shade of red when he said, “Yes. I would like to be bad. With you.” He absently wondered if he would ever be able to talk with Carter like this without feeling like he was being burned alive by desire and passion engulfing every inch inside him.

Carter flashed Lee a triumphant smile and said, “Yeah, you do.” Then he floored it as he did an illegal U-turn in the middle of the road to head in the direction towards his apartment.

“Carter-” Lee began to admonish, then couldn’t stop himself from starting to laugh at his friend’s eagerness. “You are crazy, Carter.”

“Crazy for your ass,” Carter answered before he reached out and grabbed Lee’s hand.

Lee smiled and settled into his seat. The wind blew through his hair and the L.A. sun began its slow descent, leaving a trail of yellow hues to highlight the sky in shades of red and gold. He threaded his fingers through Carter’s and tried to recall if he had ever felt so content before first Carter kissed him; so happy to be with someone.

He didn’t think so.


End file.
